During an abdominal assessment, the nurse is unable to hear bowel sounds in a client's abdomen. How long should the nurse listen before reporting absent bowel sounds?
1 minute in the center of the abdomen.
10 minutes in each quadrant.
1 minute in each quadrant.
5 minutes in each quadrant.
None
None
The Correct Answer is D
A. One minute may not provide a sufficient duration to declare absent bowel sounds, especially if the client has a slower bowel motility.
B.
Listening for 10 minutes in each quadrant is excessive and not supported by clinical guidelines. It would unnecessarily delay care and increase patient discomfort.
C. One minute in each quadrant might not provide an adequate assessment time.
D. This is the correct answer because clinical guidelines recommend auscultating for at least 5 minutes in each quadrant before concluding that bowel sounds are absent. This ensures sufficient time to detect infrequent bowel sounds and accurately assess the situation.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Vas deferens is a duct that transports sperm from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct but isn't an accessory glandular structure.
B. Scrotum is the sac of skin that houses the testes but isn't an accessory gland.
C. The prostate gland is an accessory glandular structure in males responsible for producing part of the seminal fluid.
D. Testis is the primary male reproductive organ responsible for sperm production but isn't an accessory gland.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. This option inaccurately includes "electrical impulse stimulators," which is not a recognized component of the central nervous system. The central nervous system comprises the brain and spinal cord.
B. The hypothalamus and cerebral nerves are parts of the nervous system but do not represent the entirety of the central nervous system.
C. The central nervous system consists specifically of the brain and spinal cord, responsible for coordinating and processing sensory information.
D. The peripheral and autonomic components belong to the broader nervous system but are not part of the central nervous system.

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