The nurse wants to detect a paralytic ileus promptly in a patient after a total abdominal hysterectomy.Which method is best for the nurse to use to assess for this postoperative complication?

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Most patients resume bowel function within days of an abdominal procedure,but it potentially takes longer when the patient takes opioid analgesics for pain control.The nurse auscultates bowel sounds every 4 hours,asks the patient whether gas is passing,and palpates the abdomen for distention for early detection of paralytic ileus to prevent a bowel obstruction and patient pain.The suprapubic region is palpated to check for a distended bladder,not a paralytic ileus.The patient's appetite can be unaffected by a paralytic ileus at first.If an ileus continues,patients usually lose their appetite and begin vomiting after eating.Administering stool softeners is a nursing action,not an assessment technique.

The Nurse Wants to Detect a Paralytic Ileus Promptly in a Patient