NR 304 ABDOMINAL ASSESSMENT
1.Assess vascular sounds:
- aorta, vena cava.
-As you listen to the abdomen, note the presence of any vascular sounds or bruits.
-Using firmer pressure, check over the aorta, renal arteries, iliac, and femoral arteries, especially in
people with hypertension
-Usually no such sound is present. However, about 4% to 20% of healthy people usually younger than 40
years may have a normal bruit originating from the celiac artery.25 It is systolic, medium to low in pitch,
and heard between the xiphoid process and the umbilicus.
2.Auscultate each quadrant starting in the: -RLQ &working clockwise.
-Listen for 5-30 bowel sounds.
-If no bowel sounds after 1 full minute, move to the next quadrant.
-If no bowel sounds for 5 full minutes, you may determine, no bowel sounds.
3.Begin with light palpation.: With the first four fingers close together, depress the skin about 1 cm
-Make a gentle rotary motion, sliding the fingers and skin together.
-Then lift the fingers (do not drag them) and move clockwise to the next location around the abdomen.
-The objective here is not to search for organs but to form an overall impression of the skin surface and
superficial musculature.
-Save the examination of any identified tender areas until last.
-This method avoids pain and the resulting muscle rigidity that would obscure deep palpation later in the
examination.
1.Assess vascular sounds:
- aorta, vena cava.
-As you listen to the abdomen, note the presence of any vascular sounds or bruits.
-Using firmer pressure, check over the aorta, renal arteries, iliac, and femoral arteries, especially in
people with hypertension
-Usually no such sound is present. However, about 4% to 20% of healthy people usually younger than 40
years may have a normal bruit originating from the celiac artery.25 It is systolic, medium to low in pitch,
and heard between the xiphoid process and the umbilicus.
2.Auscultate each quadrant starting in the: -RLQ &working clockwise.
-Listen for 5-30 bowel sounds.
-If no bowel sounds after 1 full minute, move to the next quadrant.
-If no bowel sounds for 5 full minutes, you may determine, no bowel sounds.
3.Begin with light palpation.: With the first four fingers close together, depress the skin about 1 cm
-Make a gentle rotary motion, sliding the fingers and skin together.
-Then lift the fingers (do not drag them) and move clockwise to the next location around the abdomen.
-The objective here is not to search for organs but to form an overall impression of the skin surface and
superficial musculature.
-Save the examination of any identified tender areas until last.
-This method avoids pain and the resulting muscle rigidity that would obscure deep palpation later in the
examination.
