Upon auscultation of the client's abdomen, the nurse hears hyperactive bowel sounds (greater than 35 per minute). The nurse knows that this can indicate which of the following?

1. Paralytic ileus
2. Fecal impaction
3. Small intestine obstruction
4. Abdominal tumor


ANS: 3
Absent (no auscultated bowel sounds) or hypoactive sounds (less than five sounds per minute) occur with paralytic ileus, such as after abdominal surgery. High-pitched and hyperactive bowel sounds (35 or more sounds per minute) occur with small intestine obstruction and inflammatory disorders.

Nursing

You might also like to view...

The nurse is preparing teaching for a client with a terminal illness. For which situation should the nurse instruct the client to contact the health care provider?

1. The client experiences nausea after chemotherapy. 2. The client indicates that death is an option. 3. The client is able to perform activities of daily living. 4. The client is hungry at mealtimes.

Nursing

After a routine eye examination the patient is told he has a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/100 in his better eye. This means the patient is considered to have what kind of vision?

A) Legal blindness B) Blindness C) Low vision D) Impaired vision

Nursing

A nurse practitioner is caring for a couple who are the parents of an infant diagnosed with Down's Syndrome. The nurse makes referrals for a parent support group for the family. This is an example of which nursing role?

A) Teacher/Educator B) Leader C) Counselor D) Collaborator

Nursing

The prescriber has ordered suramin sodium (Germanin) for a patient who has just returned from Africa and who had developed trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness)

Which instruction or instructions by the nurse should be included in the patient education to prevent a serious reaction? a. "You may be sensitive to bright lights." b. "You may experience vomiting." c. "You may feel a little numbing of your hands and feet." d. "I will need a urine sample."

Nursing