Professional Documents
Culture Documents
•Inspection
•Auscultation
•Percussion
•Palpate
There should be
adequate
exposure of the
abdomen for
proper inspection.
The patient
should be
exposed from the
inferior chest to
the anterior iliac
spines bilaterally.
124: Auscultation
Auscultation can be
done with the
diaphragm or the bell;
most examiners use
the diaphragm. You
should listen for at
least 10-15 seconds
and note the pitch
and frequency of
bowel sounds. If you
do not hear any bowel
sounds, you should
listen for a full two
minutes before you
can state that the
patient does not have
any bowel sounds.
Bowel sounds should
occur from every other
second to every 12
seconds.
Note: During the
abdominal exam auscultation is done
before palpation
Percussion 125-
126
Stand on the pt’s right side. Place your left hand behind the
patient’s R side under the 11th and 12th rib area. Press upward
with the L hand.
Palpation: Spleen
(correctly - position,
breaths, palpating
deepest full
inspiration, 1 hand
under L side, 1
feeling)
Palpation: Spleen (if
not palpable, R lateral
decubitus)
Right
lateral
decubitus
135-136: Palpation of Kidneys
Palpation: For
abdominal aorta (to
feel both the left and
right walls of the
aorta)
In correct order:
Inspection,
auscultation,
percussion and
palpation
Abdominal
Examination was
done at 0.