While examining a patient, the nurse observes abdominal pulsations between the xiphoid process and umbilicus. What does the nurse suspect?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pulsations from the aorta are normally observed beneath the skin in the epigastric area, particularly in thin people who have good muscle wall relaxation. Pulsations of the renal arteries are not visible. The vena cava is a vein, not an artery, and does not have pulsations. Waves of peristalsis are sometimes visible in very thin people and appear as a slow ripple moving obliquely across the abdomen.

While Examining a Patient, the Nurse Observes Abdominal Pulsations Between