The nurse is performing a physical exam on a patient diagnosed with liver failure resulting from chronic alcoholism. The nurse notes that the abdomen is swollen and decides to assess for abdominal skin tenderness and temperature. Which technique would the nurse use to collect this data?
A) Inspection
B) Percussion
C) Palpation
D) Auscultation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Palpation uses touch to assess body organs and skin texture, temperature, moisture, turgor, tenderness, and thickness. Inspection involves the use of vision, hearing, and smell to closely scrutinize physical characteristics of a whole person and individual body systems. Percussion involves tapping the patient's skin with short, sharp strokes that cause a vibration to travel through the skin and to the upper layers of the underlying structures. Auscultation is a technique of listening with the assistance of a stethoscope to sounds made by organs or systems such as the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and abdominal cavity. Vibration is reflected by the tissues, and the character of the sound heard depends on the density of the structures that reflect the sound.

The Nurse Is Performing a Physical Exam on a Patient