NUR 265 Chapter 22: Abdomen || 100% no Error.
1. The nurse is percussing the seventh right intercostal space at the midclavicular line over the
liver. Which sound should the nurse expect to hear?
a. Dullness
b. Tympany
c. Resonance
d. Hyperresonance correct answers a. Dullness
Rationale: The liver is located in the right upper quadrant and would elicit a dull percussion note.
2. Which structure is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen?
a. Liver
b. Duodenum
c. Gallbladder
d. Sigmoid colon correct answers d. Sigmoid colon
Rationale: The sigmoid colon is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen.
3. A patient is having difficulty swallowing medications and food. The nurse would document
that this patient has:
a. Aphasia.
b. Dysphasia.
c. Dysphagia.
d. Anorexia. correct answers c. Dysphagia.
,Rationale: Dysphagia is a condition that occurs with disorders of the throat or esophagus and
results in difficulty swallowing. Aphasia and dysphasia are speech disorders. Anorexia is a loss
of appetite.
4. The nurse suspects that a patient has a distended bladder. How should the nurse assess for this
condition?
a. Percuss and palpate in the lumbar region.
b. Inspect and palpate in the epigastric region.
c. Auscultate and percuss in the inguinal region.
d. Percuss and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone correct answers d. Percuss
and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone
Rationale: Dull percussion sounds would be elicited over a distended bladder, and the
hypogastric area would seem firm
to palpation.
5. The nurse is aware that one change that may occur in the gastrointestinal system of an aging
adult is:
a. Increased salivation.
b. Increased liver size.
c. Increased esophageal emptying.
d. Decreased gastric acid secretion. correct answers d. Decreased gastric acid secretion.
Rationale: Gastric acid secretion decreases with aging. As one ages, salivation decreases,
esophageal emptying is delayed, and liver size decreases.
, 6. A 22-year-old man comes to the clinic for an examination after falling off his motorcycle and
landing on his left side on the handle bars. The nurse suspects that he may have injured his
spleen. Which of these statements is true regarding assessment of the spleen in this situation?
a. The spleen can be enlarged as a result of trauma.
b. The spleen is normally felt on routine palpation.
c. If an enlarged spleen is noted, then the nurse should thoroughly palpate to determine its size.
d. An enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily rupture. correct answers d. An
enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily rupture.
Rationale: If an enlarged spleen is felt, then the nurse should refer the person and should not
continue to palpate it. An enlarged spleen is friable and can easily rupture with overpalpation.
7. A patients abdomen is bulging and stretched in appearance. The nurse should describe this
finding as:
a. Obese.
b. Herniated.
c. Scaphoid.
d. Protuberant. correct answers d. Protuberant.
Rationale: A protuberant abdomen is rounded, bulging, and stretched. A scaphoid abdomen caves
inward.
8. The nurse is describing a scaphoid abdomen. To the horizontal plane, a scaphoid contour of
the abdomen depicts a ______ profile.
a. Flat
b. Convex
1. The nurse is percussing the seventh right intercostal space at the midclavicular line over the
liver. Which sound should the nurse expect to hear?
a. Dullness
b. Tympany
c. Resonance
d. Hyperresonance correct answers a. Dullness
Rationale: The liver is located in the right upper quadrant and would elicit a dull percussion note.
2. Which structure is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen?
a. Liver
b. Duodenum
c. Gallbladder
d. Sigmoid colon correct answers d. Sigmoid colon
Rationale: The sigmoid colon is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen.
3. A patient is having difficulty swallowing medications and food. The nurse would document
that this patient has:
a. Aphasia.
b. Dysphasia.
c. Dysphagia.
d. Anorexia. correct answers c. Dysphagia.
,Rationale: Dysphagia is a condition that occurs with disorders of the throat or esophagus and
results in difficulty swallowing. Aphasia and dysphasia are speech disorders. Anorexia is a loss
of appetite.
4. The nurse suspects that a patient has a distended bladder. How should the nurse assess for this
condition?
a. Percuss and palpate in the lumbar region.
b. Inspect and palpate in the epigastric region.
c. Auscultate and percuss in the inguinal region.
d. Percuss and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone correct answers d. Percuss
and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone
Rationale: Dull percussion sounds would be elicited over a distended bladder, and the
hypogastric area would seem firm
to palpation.
5. The nurse is aware that one change that may occur in the gastrointestinal system of an aging
adult is:
a. Increased salivation.
b. Increased liver size.
c. Increased esophageal emptying.
d. Decreased gastric acid secretion. correct answers d. Decreased gastric acid secretion.
Rationale: Gastric acid secretion decreases with aging. As one ages, salivation decreases,
esophageal emptying is delayed, and liver size decreases.
, 6. A 22-year-old man comes to the clinic for an examination after falling off his motorcycle and
landing on his left side on the handle bars. The nurse suspects that he may have injured his
spleen. Which of these statements is true regarding assessment of the spleen in this situation?
a. The spleen can be enlarged as a result of trauma.
b. The spleen is normally felt on routine palpation.
c. If an enlarged spleen is noted, then the nurse should thoroughly palpate to determine its size.
d. An enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily rupture. correct answers d. An
enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily rupture.
Rationale: If an enlarged spleen is felt, then the nurse should refer the person and should not
continue to palpate it. An enlarged spleen is friable and can easily rupture with overpalpation.
7. A patients abdomen is bulging and stretched in appearance. The nurse should describe this
finding as:
a. Obese.
b. Herniated.
c. Scaphoid.
d. Protuberant. correct answers d. Protuberant.
Rationale: A protuberant abdomen is rounded, bulging, and stretched. A scaphoid abdomen caves
inward.
8. The nurse is describing a scaphoid abdomen. To the horizontal plane, a scaphoid contour of
the abdomen depicts a ______ profile.
a. Flat
b. Convex
