Key Terms
- abdomen
- the anterior region of a person’s trunk between the diaphragm and pelvis
- aerophagia
- swallowing air
- anorexia
- loss of appetite
- bloating
- a feeling of fullness and tightness in the abdomen
- borborygmus
- abdominal sound, described as stomach growling, heard without a stethoscope
- caput medusae
- distended veins that extend from the umbilicus
- constipation
- a condition characterized by uncomfortable, infrequent bowel movements
- Cullen sign
- ecchymosis in the subcutaneous fatty tissue below the umbilicus, indicating hemorrhagic pancreatitis
- defecation
- the process of eliminating waste from the body through the rectum and anus
- diarrhea
- frequent, loose, watery stool
- dysuria
- pain or discomfort with urination
- ecchymosis
- bruising
- emesis
- the forceful expulsion of the food contents out of the stomach through the mouth
- fascia
- thin, fibrous connective tissue
- flatulence
- intestinal gas passed through the rectum
- fluid wave
- a test to check for free fluid in the abdomen
- gastric cancer
- stomach cancer
- Grey Turner sign
- ecchymosis along the flank associated with acute necrotizing pancreatitis
- hematemesis
- vomiting of blood
- hematochezia
- bloody stool
- hepatomegaly
- enlarged liver
- hernia
- an abdominal organ, usually the intestine, pushed through the muscle of the abdominal wall
- hollow viscera
- organs that are hollow tubes or pouches
- hyperactive bowel sounds
- may indicate bowel obstruction or gastroenteritis
- hyperpnea
- forced breathing
- hypoactive bowel sounds
- may be present with constipation, after abdominal surgery, peritonitis, or paralytic ileus
- inferior vena cava (IVC)
- the body’s largest vein; carries blood to the heart from the bottom half of the body back to the heart; located in the posterior abdominal wall to the right of the aorta
- intra-abdominal pressure (IAP)
- the steady pressure within the abdominal cavity that occurs from the interaction of the abdominal wall and viscera
- left lower quadrant (LLQ)
- houses the lower part of the large intestine (descending colon), sigmoid colon, and the left ovary and fallopian tube in females
- left upper quadrant (LUQ)
- houses the stomach, the spleen, pancreas, portions of the small intestine and large intestine, and a portion of the liver
- melena
- dark, tarry stools, often associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding
- nausea
- the sensation of discomfort and unease in the stomach that is often accompanied by the urge to vomit
- naval
- umbilicus
- nephromegaly
- enlarged kidney
- peristalsis
- the wavelike movement of the gastrointestinal system to move contents forward
- peritoneal space
- the layer of tissue that surrounds the abdomen
- protuberant
- convex or bulging abdomen
- rebound tenderness
- the clinician maintains pressure over an area of tenderness and then withdraws the hand abruptly; if the patient winces with pain upon withdrawal of the hand, the test is positive
- right lower quadrant (RLQ)
- houses the appendix, part of the large intestine (cecum and ascending colon), the right ovary and fallopian tube in females
- right upper quadrant (RUQ)
- houses the liver, gallbladder, and portions of the small intestine and large intestine
- rigidity
- involuntary contraction of the abdominal musculature in response to peritoneal inflammation; it is a reflex the patient cannot control
- scaphoid
- sunken abdomen
- solid viscera
- solid organ
- splenomegaly
- enlarged spleen
- striae
- white or silvery elongated marks that occur when the skin stretches, especially during pregnancy or excessive weight gain
- viscera
- an organ in the abdomen
- visceromegaly
- the abnormal enlargement of abdominal organs
- voluntary guarding
- voluntary contraction of the abdominal wall musculature, usually the result of fear, anxiety, or the touch of cold hands