Check Your Understanding Questions

1.

Why is the abdomen assessed in a different order than other body systems?

2.

When documenting your findings, how do you describe objective findings?

3.

When assessing the abdomen for abdominal distention, why is it important to get a history of a patient’s stool pattern and current diet?

4.

How can asking where a patient feels a bulge in the abdomen help pinpoint what type of hernia the person is experiencing?

5.

When assessing the abdomen for distention, why does the nurse ask the patient to lie in a supine position?

6.

When assessing the abdomen for different disorders, why is a diet history important?