During the abdominal assessment of an elderly patient, the nurse palpates a mass in the midabdomen. What should the nurse do next?
1. Percuss the mass.
2. Ask the patient to cough.
3. Get the physician.
4. Auscultate the mass.
Correct Answer: 4
Further assessment is needed before the physician would be contacted, typically first by phone. Most abdominal aneurysms are asymptomatic, but a pulsating mass in the mid- and upper abdomen and a bruit (the sound auscultated over turbulent or restricted blood flow) over the mass are found on exam. If an aneurysm were suspected, asking the patient to cough and percussing the mass would be inappropriate responses that could increase the pressure on the weakened site.
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