Abdominal Assessment Activity sounds; 5-30 bowel sounds per minute; if you don’t hear any bowel

The following patient presents to the Clinic with c/o right upper quadrant sounds, you need to listen for five full minutes; hyperactive or
pain. What five questions would you ask during the interview? hypoactive)
3. Percussion (Percuss to assess the relative density of abdominal
1. Any problems with your stomach or your bowels? contents and to screen for abnormal fluid or masses) (Jarvis, p. 794)
4. Palpation (light palpation first using the pads of fingers in a rotary
2. Any surgeries in the past?
motion all over the whole abdomen clockwise; check if the abdomen
3. When was the last bowel movement? is soft or hard; deep palpation after light palpation;

- Are you having any dark or tarry or irregular stools?

- Any constipation?
Draw a circle to identify the following abdominopelvic structures:
- How often do you go for bowel movement?
a. Aorta
4. How are you urinating? Do you have pain while you are peeing? b. Right and Left Femoral Artery
c. Right and Left Iliac Artery
- Do you have problems starting a stream or any discharge? (male) d. Right and Left Renal Artery
- When was your last menstrual period? (female) a
C
- Are you urinating often enough?
D
5. How’s your appetite? Are you eating okay? Any nausea or Identify the following abdominal structures: B
D
vomiting? a. Epigastric Region ____2____
b. Stomach ___2,3,5__________
c. Large Intestine_1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Describe the sequence order used during the examination of d. Umbilical Region ___5________
the abdomen? e. Liver __1,2_______
After inspection, we jump into auscultation before palpating f. Spleen ____2, 3____
with the abdomen because you don’t want to disturb the g. Small Intestine __1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9__
bowel sounds. h. Gallbladder ___1,4_____
i. Hypogastric Region ___8______
1. Inspection (Abdominal contour, symmetry, umbilicus, j. Left and Right Iliac __7,9_______
obvious masses or lumps, pain, skin, any drainage, k. Abdominal Aorta ____2___
respiratory movements, waves of peristalsis, hair l. Appendix ___7____
distribution) m. Right and Left Kidney __2,5__
2. Auscultation (Start from right lower quadrant with the diaphragm and n. Umbilicus ___5_____
clockwise; using the bell of the stethoscope, we listen vascular
Label the four quadrants of the abdominal cavity What abdominal region would I anticipate a patient experiencing pain with a
diagnosis of Cystitis(Bladder infection)?

- Hypogastric
RLQ (Right Lower Quadrant)

RUQ (Right Upper Quadrant) RUQ LUQ

What abdominal region would I anticipate a patient experiencing pain
with a diagnosis of Appendicitis?
LUQ (Left Upper Quadrant)
- Right iliac
- Hypogastric
LLQ (Left Lower Quadrant)
RLQ LLQ
What abdominal region would I anticipate a patient experiencing pain
with a diagnosis of ruptured Abdominal Aorta?

- Epigastric

What abdominal region would I anticipate a patient experiencing pain with a

diagnosis of Pancreatitis?
What abdominal region would I anticipate a patient experiencing pain with a
diagnosis Cholelithiasis? - Right Hypochondriac
- Epigastric
- Right hypochondriac - Left Hypochondriac
- Umbilical

What abdominal region would I anticipate a patient experiencing pain with a

diagnosis left sided Pyelonephritis?

- Left lumbar, Left illiac

What abdominal region would I anticipate a patient experiencing pain with a

diagnosis of Splenomegaly?

- Left hypochondriac