When assessing a patient's abdomen during the admission assessment, which action should the nurse take first?

a. Feel for any masses.
b. Palpate the abdomen.
c. Listen for bowel sounds.
d. Percuss the liver borders.


ANS: C
When assessing the abdomen, auscultation is done before palpation or percussion because palpation and percussion can cause changes in bowel sounds and alter the findings. All of the techniques are appropriate, but auscultation should be done first.

Nursing

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a. International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) b. International Council of Nurses (ICN) c. World Health Organization (WHO) d. International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization (IHTSDO)

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Nursing