The nurse observes a patient rocking back and forth on the examination table in pain. Based on the patient's history, the nurse suspects kidney stones. What additional examination technique does the nurse perform to confirm this suspicion?
A) Palpating the flank area for rebound tenderness
B) Percussing the bladder for fullness
C) Percussing the costal vertebral margins for tenderness
D) Palpating McBurney point for tenderness

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Percussing the costal vertebral margins for tenderness is the appropriate technique to detect kidney stones. The nurse recognizes the relationship between the history and the observation with further assessment techniques needed to confirm kidney stones. Palpating the flank area for rebound tenderness is the correct location (flank area), but rebound tenderness is performed on the abdomen to detect peritoneal inflammation. Percussing the bladder for fullness would provide data about bladder distention, but is not a technique to detect for kidney stones. Palpating McBurney point for tenderness is a technique to detect appendicitis.

The Nurse Observes a Patient Rocking Back and Forth on the Examination