NSG 6020 WEEK 5 ABDOMEN STUDY GUIDE
Four quadrants of the abdomen: right upper, right lower, left upper, and left
lower quadrants
Location dividing the abdomen into 4 sections: Umbilicus
The lower margin of the liver can be palpated at the right costal margin.
The Lower edge of the liver and the Right kidney are usually palpable.
What quadrant is the spleen palpable in? Left upper quadrant
The Abdominal aorta often has visible pulsations and is usually palpable in
the upper abdomen.
You can often feel the firm, narrow, tubular sigmoid colon in what
quadrant? Left Lower quadrant
Appendix & bowel loops of RLQ are normally not palpable in healthy adults
Bladder distention may be palpable above the symphysis pubis.
Upper gastrointestinal symptoms may include abdominal pain, heartburn,
nausea and vomiting, difficulty or pain with swallowing, vomiting of stomach
contents or blood, loss of appetite, and jaundice.
Three broad categories of pain: visceral, parietal, and referred.
Visceral pain occurs when hollow abdominal organs such as the intestine
or biliary tree contract unusually forcefully or are distended or stretched.
Visceral pain in the right upper quadrant may result from liver distention.
Visceral pain quality varies in quality and may be gnawing, burning,
cramping, or aching. When it becomes severe, it may be associated with
sweating, pallor, nausea, vomiting, and restlessness.
Pain from pleurisy or inferior wall myocardial infarction may be referred to
epigastric area.
Pain of duodenal or pancreatic origin may be referred to the back.
Pain from the biliary tree may refer to right shoulder or the right posterior
chest.
Characteristic of pain: Timing ~chronic ~intermittent ~continuous
Doubling over with cramping colicky pain indicates: Renal Stone
, Epigastric pain occurs with Gastritis & GERD.
Right upper quadrant and upper abdominal pain are common
in Cholecystitis.
Angina from inferior wall coronary artery disease may present as
indigestion but is precipitated by exertion and relieved by rest.
Bloating may occur with inflammatory bowel disease.
Belching is caused by aerophagia or swallowing air.
Defined as a 3-month history of nonspecific upper abdominal discomfort or
nausea not attributable to structural abnormalities or peptic ulcer disease
are: functional, or nonulcer, dyspepsia
If patient complain of heartburn, acid reflux, regugitation for more than once
a week, they are likely to have? GERD until proven otherwise
Risk factors for GERD: reduced salivary flow which prolongs acid clearance
by damping action of bicarb, delayed gastric emptying, some meds, and
hiatal hernia
Heartburn is a rising retrosternal burning pain or discomfort occurring
weekly or more often. Heartburn is typically aggravated by food.
Angina from the inferior wall coronary ischemia along the diaphragm may
present as heartburn.
Atypical respiratory symptoms of GERD: coughing, wheezing, and
aspiration pneumonia.
GERD: alarm symptoms: Weight loss. Recurrent vomiting, Evidence of GI
bleeding or anemia, Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and Odynophagia
(painful swallowing).
What GERD patients warrant endoscopy? Uncomplicated GERD non-
responsive to empiric therapy, alarm symptoms, and patients >55yo.
Acute appendicitis is right lower quadrant pain or pain that migrates from
the periumbilical region with abdominal wall rigidity on palpation.
In women, appendix area pain may indicate pelvic inflammatory disease,
ruptured ovarian follicle, and ectopic pregnancy.
Cramping pain radiating to the RLQ or LLQ may be a renal stone.
Left lower quadrant pain with a palpable mass may be:Diverticulitis
Four quadrants of the abdomen: right upper, right lower, left upper, and left
lower quadrants
Location dividing the abdomen into 4 sections: Umbilicus
The lower margin of the liver can be palpated at the right costal margin.
The Lower edge of the liver and the Right kidney are usually palpable.
What quadrant is the spleen palpable in? Left upper quadrant
The Abdominal aorta often has visible pulsations and is usually palpable in
the upper abdomen.
You can often feel the firm, narrow, tubular sigmoid colon in what
quadrant? Left Lower quadrant
Appendix & bowel loops of RLQ are normally not palpable in healthy adults
Bladder distention may be palpable above the symphysis pubis.
Upper gastrointestinal symptoms may include abdominal pain, heartburn,
nausea and vomiting, difficulty or pain with swallowing, vomiting of stomach
contents or blood, loss of appetite, and jaundice.
Three broad categories of pain: visceral, parietal, and referred.
Visceral pain occurs when hollow abdominal organs such as the intestine
or biliary tree contract unusually forcefully or are distended or stretched.
Visceral pain in the right upper quadrant may result from liver distention.
Visceral pain quality varies in quality and may be gnawing, burning,
cramping, or aching. When it becomes severe, it may be associated with
sweating, pallor, nausea, vomiting, and restlessness.
Pain from pleurisy or inferior wall myocardial infarction may be referred to
epigastric area.
Pain of duodenal or pancreatic origin may be referred to the back.
Pain from the biliary tree may refer to right shoulder or the right posterior
chest.
Characteristic of pain: Timing ~chronic ~intermittent ~continuous
Doubling over with cramping colicky pain indicates: Renal Stone
, Epigastric pain occurs with Gastritis & GERD.
Right upper quadrant and upper abdominal pain are common
in Cholecystitis.
Angina from inferior wall coronary artery disease may present as
indigestion but is precipitated by exertion and relieved by rest.
Bloating may occur with inflammatory bowel disease.
Belching is caused by aerophagia or swallowing air.
Defined as a 3-month history of nonspecific upper abdominal discomfort or
nausea not attributable to structural abnormalities or peptic ulcer disease
are: functional, or nonulcer, dyspepsia
If patient complain of heartburn, acid reflux, regugitation for more than once
a week, they are likely to have? GERD until proven otherwise
Risk factors for GERD: reduced salivary flow which prolongs acid clearance
by damping action of bicarb, delayed gastric emptying, some meds, and
hiatal hernia
Heartburn is a rising retrosternal burning pain or discomfort occurring
weekly or more often. Heartburn is typically aggravated by food.
Angina from the inferior wall coronary ischemia along the diaphragm may
present as heartburn.
Atypical respiratory symptoms of GERD: coughing, wheezing, and
aspiration pneumonia.
GERD: alarm symptoms: Weight loss. Recurrent vomiting, Evidence of GI
bleeding or anemia, Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and Odynophagia
(painful swallowing).
What GERD patients warrant endoscopy? Uncomplicated GERD non-
responsive to empiric therapy, alarm symptoms, and patients >55yo.
Acute appendicitis is right lower quadrant pain or pain that migrates from
the periumbilical region with abdominal wall rigidity on palpation.
In women, appendix area pain may indicate pelvic inflammatory disease,
ruptured ovarian follicle, and ectopic pregnancy.
Cramping pain radiating to the RLQ or LLQ may be a renal stone.
Left lower quadrant pain with a palpable mass may be:Diverticulitis
