A patient who is visiting the clinic complains of having stomach pains for 2 weeks and describes his stools as being soft and black for approximately the last 10 days. He denies taking any medications. How should the nurse interpret these symptoms?

Choice A reason: Telling the patient not to worry dismisses their concern and provides no educational value. Inguinal hernias, while common in older men, require explanation and monitoring, as they can lead to complications like incarceration, making this an inappropriate response.

Choice B reason: An inguinal hernia is a protrusion of bowel or tissue through a weak spot in the abdominal wall, typically in the inguinal canal. This accurate explanation addresses the patient’s question, describing the condition’s pathophysiology clearly, making it the correct response.

Choice C reason: Inguinal hernias are typically acquired due to abdominal wall weakness or increased intra-abdominal pressure, not prenatal growth abnormalities. Congenital hernias (e.g., indirect inguinal) are less common in adults, making this an inaccurate explanation for the patient’s condition.

Choice D reason: Referring the patient back to the physician avoids the nurse’s responsibility to educate. Nurses are equipped to explain diagnoses like hernias in simple terms, and deferring entirely does not address the patient’s immediate need for understanding, making this less optimal.

Choice A reason: Superficial tenderness is assessed with light palpation, which evaluates surface sensitivity. Deep palpation probes deeper structures, like organs, and is not primarily for detecting superficial pain, making this an incorrect rationale.

Choice B reason: Bowel motility is assessed via auscultation, which detects bowel sounds, not palpation. Deep palpation evaluates organ size or masses, not dynamic motility, making this an incorrect purpose for the technique.

Choice C reason: The overall impression of skin and superficial musculature is gained through inspection and light palpation. Deep palpation targets deeper structures like organs, not surface characteristics, making this an incorrect rationale.

Choice D reason: Deep palpation is used to assess for enlarged organs, such as hepatomegaly or splenomegaly, by probing deeper abdominal structures. This allows detection of abnormal masses or organ sizes, making this the correct rationale.