Deck 14: Assessing the Abdomen

Question 1

You are performing an abdominal assessment and know that solid abdominal viscera include which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) Gallbladder
B) Adrenal glands
C) Kidneys
D) Liver
E) Ovaries

Answer 1

Adrenal glands
Kidneys
Liver
Ovaries

Question 2

The liver plays a key role in which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) Metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and drugs
B) Producing bile
C) Detoxifying harmful chemicals
D) Producing vitamin B₁₂

Answer 2

Metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and drugs
Producing bile
Detoxifying harmful chemicals

Question 3

Characteristics of bilirubin include which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) It is a by-product of red blood cell (RBC) catabolism.
B) It deposits yellow pigment in the skin and sclera at elevated levels.
C) A decrease is known as icterus.
D) It is produced by the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.

Answer 3

It is a by-product of red blood cell (RBC) catabolism.
It deposits yellow pigment in the skin and sclera at elevated levels.
It is produced by the liver, spleen, and bone marrow.

Question 4

The gallbladder and biliary system perform which of the following functions? Select all that apply.

A) Produce bile.
B) Collect and store bile.
C) Concentrate bile.
D) Transport bile to the intestine to aid in digestion.

Question 5

The spleen performs which of the following functions? Select all that apply.

A) Filters blood
B) Manufactures lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages
C) Stores erythrocytes and platelets
D) Produces white blood cells during bone marrow depression

Question 6

Characteristics of fecal occult blood (FOB) include which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) It can originate from any part of the digestive tract.
B) It is not observed by the patient.
C) The test for it is an invasive test.
D) The test for it is done twice a year on adults.
E) It may be a warning sign of colorectal cancer.

Question 7

You are doing an assessment on a patient who has diabetes and chronic kidney disease. What tests may the health-care provider order to assess kidney function? Select all that apply.

A) Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
B) Creatinine
C) Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
D) Bladder scan

Question 8

You auscultate the abdominal vasculature. What arteries will you auscultate for the presence of bruits?

A) Popliteal arteries
B) Renal arteries
C) Femoral arteries
D) Iliac arteries
E) Aorta

Question 9

You are assessing a focused health history on a patient who is reporting excessive flatulence. The nurse will inquire about which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) Air swallowing with eating
B) Intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome
C) Ingestion of all meats and vegetables
D) Feeling of being bloated

Question 10

A patient reports that he has recently traveled outside the country and is feeling ill. Suspecting hepatitis, the nurse should ask about which of the following symptoms? Select all that apply.

A) Back pain
B) Nausea
C) Fatigue
D) Poor appetite

Question 11

The nurse is auscultating bowel sounds. Which of the following steps are correct? Select all that apply.

A) Place the diaphragm of the stethoscope on the abdomen at the right upper quadrant.
B) Assess intensity, pitch, and frequency of bowel sounds.
C) Auscultate in all four abdominal quadrants.
D) Auscultate for a full minute before documenting that there are no bowel sounds.

Question 12

When palpating the bladder, the nurse knows that which of the following is true? Select all that apply.

A) An empty bladder is not palpable.
B) A partially filled bladder will feel firm and hard like a tennis ball.
C) A distended bladder will extend as far up as the umbilicus.
D) Tenderness or pain during palpation may indicate bladder infection.

Question 13

Patient education for prevention of colon cancer should include which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) Maintaining a healthy weight
B) Eating a diet high in protein and grains
C) No limits on alcohol intake
D) Increasing the intensity of any exercise regimen

Question 14

Screening for colorectal cancer can include which of the following? Select all that apply.

A) Sigmoidoscopy
B) Double-contrast barium enema
C) Stool DNA test
D) Yearly fecal occult blood test after age 50

Question 15

The patient reports that he has not had a bowel movement in several days. You auscultate the abdomen for bowel sounds. What characteristics are you assessing? Select all that apply.

A) Quality
B) Frequency
C) Amplitude
D) Absence of bowel sounds

Question 16

The endothelial serous membrane that covers the walls of the abdominal cavity is the:

A) Abdominal peritoneum.
B) Peritoneal cavity.
C) Parietal peritoneum.
D) Visceral peritoneum.

Question 17

The double-layer membranous tissue containing blood vessels and nerves that supply the intestinal wall is the:

A) Peritoneum.
B) Mesentery.
C) Adrenals.
D) Viscera.

Question 18

A rise in levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) can indicate:

A) Injury or damage to the liver.
B) Pancreatic insufficiency.
C) Excess bile production.
D) Nutritional deficiency.

Question 19

You are a nurse assessing a patient with a pancreatic disorder. You know that the pancreas produces:

A) Bile and hydrochloric acid.
B) Hydrochloric acid and creatinine.
C) Insulin, amylase, and lipase.
D) Ammonia and amylase only.

Question 20

You are assessing a patient who has chronic complaints of diarrhea alternating with periods of constipation. As a nurse, you know that the primary function of the large intestine is:

A) Propulsion of chyme.
B) Production of digestive enzymes.
C) Absorption of water and electrolytes.
D) Digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Question 21

An examination that uses a flexible fiberoptic scope to visualize the mucosa of the lower third of the large intestine is called a:

A) Colonoscopy.
B) Sigmoidoscopy.
C) Esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
D) Barium enema.

Question 22

Lactose intolerance in adulthood is most prevalent in:

A) African Americans
B) Hispanics
C) East Asians
D) Scandinavians

Question 23

A patient comes to the emergency room complaining that he has been vomiting for the past 24 hours with black vomitus/emesis. You know that black vomitus may indicate:

A) A biliary obstruction.
B) Blood acted on by gastric digestion.
C) Intestinal obstruction.
D) Gastritis or food poisoning.

Question 24

A patient reports that he has been severely vomiting for the last 24 hours. He states that the vomiting is very strong and he describes it as projectile. Projectile vomiting without nausea is a sign of:

A) Food poisoning.
B) Intestinal obstruction.
C) Brain pathology or head trauma.
D) Gastric hemorrhage.

Question 25

A vague feeling of fullness and chest discomfort, indigestion, or burning in the chest or upper abdomen, especially after eating is called:

A) Pyrosis.
B) Hematemesis.
C) Dyspepsia.
D) Gastroesophageal reflux.

Question 26

The nurse assesses the patient's pain as a dull, gnawing, cramping, or burning pain that is poorly localized. The nurse suspects that the pain is:

A) Visceral.
B) Parietal.
C) Peritoneal.
D) Referred.

Question 27

During the history of present illness, the patient reports narrowing of stools or pencil-like stools. The nurse knows that this may indicate:

A) Constipation.
B) Intestinal obstruction.
C) Hemorrhoids.
D) Intestinal parasites.

Question 28

During the chief complaint, the patient reports blood and mucous in the stool. The nurse remembers that this is associated with:

A) Iron supplements.
B) Hepatitis.
C) Rectal bleeding.
D) Inflammatory bowel disorders.

Question 29

You are inspecting the abdomen. Where will you stand to do a full inspection of the abdomen?

A) Stand at the head of the examining table and at the patient's feet.
B) Stoop down on the left and right sides of the patient.
C) Stoop down at the patient's side and stand at the patient's feet.
D) Stoop down at the patient's head and stand at the patient's feet.

Question 30

The nurse is performing an abdominal assessment and starts with inspecting the abdomen. The nurse notes a ripple-like movement over the abdomen and remembers that this may indicate a(n):

A) Hernia.
B) Ascites.
C) Diastasis recti.
D) Intestinal obstruction.
E) Aortic aneurysm.

Question 31

You are auscultating bowel sounds. How many clicks or gurgles per minute are considered normal bowel sounds?

A) 1 to 5
B) 5 to 34
C) 20 to 37
D) 29 to 50

Question 32

You are auscultating arterial sounds in the abdomen. Turbulent, blowing sounds heard over a partially or totally obstructed artery are called:

A) Friction rubs.
B) Venous hums.
C) Vascular sounds.
D) Bruits.

Question 33

A patient presents with complaints of feeling bloated. You percuss all four quadrants of the abdomen. A high-pitched, hollow-quality, drum-like sound that is heard over air-filled viscera is called:

A) Tympany.
B) Dullness.
C) Hyper-resonance.
D) Distention.

Question 34

A nurse should be able to mentally visualize the organs in the abdomen for abdominal mapping. In assessing the abdomen, the nurse knows organs in the midline are the:

A) Gallbladder, liver, and duodenum.
B) Stomach, spleen, and pancreas.
C) Aorta, uterus, and bladder.
D) Appendix, ascending colon, and ovary.
E) Descending colon, ureter, and spermatic cord.

Question 35

Patients who have diarrhea, laxative use, gastroenteritis, or early intestinal obstruction will have:

A) Normal bowel sounds.
B) Hyperactive bowel sounds.
C) Hypoactive bowel sounds.
D) Absent bowel sounds.

Question 36

If ascites is assessed and the patient is experiencing respiratory distress, a procedure for removing fluid from the peritoneal cavity is called:

A) Paracentesis.
B) Thoracentesis.
C) Chest tubes.
D) Gastrointestinal suction.

Question 37

You are inspecting a patient's abdomen and suspect the patient may have a diastasis recti separation. To confirm your suspicion, you will ask the patient to:

A) Turn to either side.
B) Breathe deeply.
C) Lie supine.
D) Cough.

Question 38

You are assessing a patient who is complaining of "feeling bloated and short of breath." The patient is lying in the supine position. Your assessment findings are: inspection: skin is shiny and taut, protuberant abdomen with spider veins noted at the umbilical area; auscultation: hypoactive low-pitched bowel sounds, 10 clicks per minute; abdominal vasculature, no bruits; percussion: tympany at hypogastric and umbilical area; dull sounds on lateral dependent quadrants; palpation: firm, nontender, unable to palpate organs. What assessment should you perform next?

A) Cardiac assessment
B) Testing for fluid waves
C) Respiratory assessment
D) Edema of the extremities

Question 39

The sequence of an abdominal assessment is different from other assessments so that peristalsis is not stimulated. Put the sequence for the abdominal assessment in order (1-4). (Enter the number of each step in the proper sequence. Do not use punctuation or spaces. Example: 1234.)
____1. Palpation
____2. Inspection
____3. Auscultation
____4. Indirect percussion

Question 40

The patient has a history of alcoholism with liver disease. The diagnostic test you would expect the health-care provider to order in relation to a liver that is compromised is ____________________ level.

Question 41

The patient is complaining of sharp lower right quadrant pain with nausea and vomiting that started 20 hours ago. She states that she is extremely uncomfortable and rates the pain a 10/10. You will perform an assessment for rebound tenderness at ____________________ point.