Abdominal Assessment

Question 1

End of bed considerations in abdo assessments

Answer 1

Hydration status, body mass (obesity/wasting), fever, pain/distress, presence of vomit bowls or medical equipment.

Question 2

What can clubbing indicate in abdominal pathology?

Answer 2

Inflammatory bowel disease, cirrhosis, coeliac disease.

Question 3

What does koilonychia (spoon nails) indicate?

Answer 3

Iron-deficiency anaemia.

Question 4

What can leukonychia suggest?

Answer 4

Hypoalbuminemia, liver failure, trauma, vitamin deficiency, heart disease.

Question 5

What does palmar erythema indicate?

Answer 5

Liver disease or pregnancy.

Question 6

What is a liver flap (asterixis) and what causes it?

Answer 6

Flapping tremor due to hepatic encephalopathy from ammonia buildup.

Question 7

What does Dupuytren’s contracture indicate?

Answer 7

Thickening of palmar fascia; associated with alcohol excess and family history.

Question 8

What does evidence of frequent venepuncture or IV drug use suggest?

Answer 8

Risk of hepatitis or HIV.

Question 9

What does facial pallor suggest in an abdominal patient?

Answer 9

Gastrointestinal bleeding.

Question 10

What does jaundice indicate?

Answer 10

Hyperbilirubinemia – causes include gallstones, hepatitis, pancreatitis, sickle cell disease

Question 11

What does conjunctival pallor suggest?

Answer 11

Anaemia.

Question 12

What is angular stomatitis and what does it indicate?

Answer 12

Cracks at mouth corners; possibly Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.

Question 13

What does glossitis suggest?

Answer 13

Anaemia, or viral causes like herpes.

Question 14

What does left supraclavicular lymphadenopathy suggest?

Answer 14

Possible GI malignancy.

Question 15

What do abdominal scars indicate?

Answer 15

Previous abdominal surgery.

Question 16

What is Grey Turner’s sign and what does it indicate?

Answer 16

Flank bruising – retroperitoneal bleeding, often from pancreatitis.

Question 17

What is Cullen’s sign and what does it indicate?

Answer 17

Periumbilical bruising – internal bleeding (e.g., ectopic pregnancy, trauma, pancreatitis).

Question 18

What does the presence of hernias or visible masses suggest?

Answer 18

Potential bowel obstruction, weakness in abdominal wall.

Question 19

What is the significance of spider naevi on abdomen/chest?

Answer 19

> 5 indicates possible liver disease.

Question 20

What does caput medusae indicate?

Answer 20

Portal hypertension, usually from liver failure.

Question 21

What are the “5 F’s” of abdominal distension?

Answer 21

Fluid, Fat, Faeces, Flatus, Foetus.

Question 22

What are normal abdominal bowel sounds?

Answer 22

Gurgling.

Question 23

What do high-pitched “tinkling” bowel sounds indicate?

Answer 23

Bowel obstruction.

Question 24

What do absent bowel sounds suggest?

Answer 24

Peritonitis or paralytic ileus

Question 25

What does tenderness on light palpation indicate?

Answer 25

Localised or general inflammation or pain.

Question 26

What is rebound tenderness and what does it suggest?

Answer 26

Increased pain on release; sign of peritonitis.

Question 27

What does abdominal guarding indicate?

Answer 27

Involuntary muscle tension due to underlying inflammation.

Question 28

What does detection of masses on palpation indicate?

Answer 28

Possible tumors, enlarged organs, or bowel distension.

Question 29

What does an enlarged gallbladder suggest?

Answer 29

Biliary obstruction or cholecystitis.

Question 30

What is Murphy’s Sign and what does it test for?

Answer 30

Pain on inspiration with palpation under right ribs – suggests cholecystitis.

Question 31

What is Rovsing’s sign?

Answer 31

Pain in RLQ when palpating LLQ – suggests appendicitis.

Question 32

What is the psoas sign?

Answer 32

pain with hip extension – suggests retrocecal appendicitis.

Question 33

What is the obturator sign?

Answer 33

Pain with internal hip rotation – suggests pelvic appendicitis.

Question 34

What is McBurney’s point tenderness?

Answer 34

Localized RLQ pain – classic sign of appendicitis.

Question 35

What is the purpose of percussing the liver?

Answer 35

To assess liver size and detect hepatomegaly.

Question 36

What might splenic palpation reveal?

Answer 36

Splenomegaly – can occur in portal hypertension, infection, haematologic disease.

Question 37

What does oedema in the legs suggest in abdominal disease?

Answer 37

Hypoalbuminemia, liver disease, or right heart failure.

Question 38

Why assess distal pulses in abdominal patients?

Answer 38

To rule out peripheral vascular disease or limb ischaemia

Question 39

What does pale, cold skin on the legs suggest?

Answer 39

Poor perfusion – possibly linked to vascular or cardiac issues