The nurse is assessing the patient admitted with pancreatitis. In doing so, the nurse:
a. palpates the pancreas for size and shape.
b. emphasizes to the patient that pancreatic inflammation does not spread.
c. assesses symptoms that could indicate involvement of the stomach.
d. explains to the patient that back pain is not a sign of pancreatitis.
C
Because the pancreas lies retroperitoneally, it cannot be palpated; this characteristic explains why diseases of the pancreas can cause pain that radiates to the back. In addition, a well-developed pancreatic capsule does not exist, and this may explain why inflammatory processes of the pancreas can spread freely and affect the surrounding organs (stomach and duodenum).
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