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?