A nurse is performing an abdominal assessment as part of a client’s comprehensive physical examination. Which of the following is the final step the nurse should perform?
Percussion
Auscultation
Palpation
Inspection
The Correct Answer is C
Choice A reason: Percussion precedes palpation to assess abdominal resonance and organ size without altering bowel motility. Performing it last risks inaccurate findings, as palpation may stimulate peristalsis, changing resonance patterns. This sequence ensures reliable detection of abnormalities like organomegaly or fluid accumulation in the abdomen.
Choice B reason: Auscultation is done before palpation to capture natural bowel sounds. Manipulation during palpation can alter peristalsis, affecting auscultatory findings. Early auscultation ensures accurate detection of hypoactive or hyperactive bowel sounds, critical for diagnosing conditions like ileus or obstruction in abdominal assessments.
Choice C reason: Palpation is the final step, following inspection, auscultation, and percussion, to assess for tenderness or masses. This sequence prevents manipulation from altering earlier findings, ensuring accurate identification of abdominal abnormalities like peritonitis or organ enlargement, critical for a comprehensive physical examination.
Choice D reason: Inspection is the first step, providing a visual baseline of abdominal appearance, such as distension or scars. Performing it last misses initial cues guiding subsequent steps. Early inspection ensures no manipulation affects visual assessment, vital for identifying external signs of underlying abdominal pathology.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Using a mechanical lift for a 136 kg client unable to assist ensures safety for both client and nurse. Lifts prevent injury by supporting the client’s weight, reducing strain on staff. This adheres to safe patient handling guidelines, minimizing risks of falls or musculoskeletal injuries during transfer.
Choice B reason: Asking another nurse to assist is insufficient for a 136 kg client unable to help, as manual lifting risks injury to staff and client. Mechanical lifts are required for heavy or non-assistive clients to ensure safety, making this option inadequate and unsafe for the transfer scenario described.
Choice C reason: Positioning the client upright before transfer is impractical for a non-assistive client weighing 136 kg, as it requires significant manual effort and risks injury. Mechanical lifts are needed to safely move such clients, ensuring stability and preventing falls, making this action inappropriate for the transfer.
Choice D reason: A sliding board is unsuitable for a 136 kg client unable to assist, as it requires some patient cooperation and strength. It risks injury to staff and client due to the client’s weight and inability to participate. Mechanical lifts are the safer, recommended method for this transfer.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Cheyne-Stokes respirations, alternating hyperventilation and apnea, indicate neurological dysfunction or end-of-life changes in brain tumor patients, not pain. This reflects brainstem involvement, requiring respiratory management rather than analgesics, as it is a physiological response to disease progression in palliative care.
Choice B reason: Mottled skin signals poor perfusion or impending death, common in palliative care as circulation declines. It is not a pain indicator but a sign of systemic shutdown, requiring comfort measures like warmth, not analgesics, which are irrelevant to this physiological change in terminal illness.
Choice C reason: Constricted pupils may reflect opioid effects or neurological changes in brain tumor patients but do not directly indicate pain. They suggest autonomic or brainstem dysfunction, necessitating neurological assessment, not immediate pain medication, in palliative care where comfort is prioritized based on clear pain cues.
Choice D reason: Grimacing indicates pain in palliative care patients with brain tumors, reflecting physical discomfort. As a facial expression of distress, it signals the need for analgesics to improve comfort and quality of life, aligning with palliative goals to manage pain effectively in end-stage disease.
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