When assessing the abdomen, how long must the nurse listen to the abdomen to be able to accurately chart that bowel sounds are absent?

Question

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Normal bowel sounds include high-pitched, gurgling sounds that occur approximately every 5 to 15 seconds or at a rate of 5 to 34 times per minute.Abnormal findings include the absence of bowel sounds throughout a 5-minute period, extremely soft and widely separated sounds, and increased sounds with a high-pitched, loud rushing sound (peristaltic rush).

When Assessing the Abdomen, How Long Must the Nurse Listen