The nurse is unable to identify any changes in sound when percussing over the abdomen of an obese patient.What should the nurse do next?
A)Ask the patient to take deep breaths to relax the abdominal musculature
B)Consider this a normal finding and proceed with the abdominal assessment.
C)Increase the amount of strength used when attempting to percuss over the abdomen.
D)Decrease the amount of strength used when attempting to percuss over the abdomen.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Percuss two times in this location using even,staccato blows.Lift the striking finger off quickly;a resting finger damps off vibrations.The thickness of the person's body wall will be a factor.You will need a stronger percussion stroke for persons with obese or very muscular body walls.The force of the blow determines the loudness of the note.

The Nurse Is Unable to Identify Any Changes in Sound