During an abdominal assessment, the nurse is unable to hear bowel sounds in a client's abdomen. How long should the nurse listen before reporting absent bowel sounds?
1 minute in the center of the abdomen.
10 minutes in each quadrant.
1 minute in each quadrant.
5 minutes in each quadrant.
None
None
The Correct Answer is D
A. One minute may not provide a sufficient duration to declare absent bowel sounds, especially if the client has a slower bowel motility.
B.
Listening for 10 minutes in each quadrant is excessive and not supported by clinical guidelines. It would unnecessarily delay care and increase patient discomfort.
C. One minute in each quadrant might not provide an adequate assessment time.
D. This is the correct answer because clinical guidelines recommend auscultating for at least 5 minutes in each quadrant before concluding that bowel sounds are absent. This ensures sufficient time to detect infrequent bowel sounds and accurately assess the situation.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Anorexia refers to a loss of appetite or lack of interest in food, not difficulty swallowing.
B. Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate, not related to swallowing difficulties.
C. Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing, which can involve medications and food, potentially due to various causes like neurological conditions or structural issues.
D. Dysphasia refers to difficulty with speech or language, not directly related to swallowing difficulties.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A. Listening to speech primarily assesses cranial nerves related to speech and articulation, not cranial nerve II.
B. Identifying scented aromas assesses the olfactory nerve.
C. Clenching teeth primarily assess cranial nerve V (trigeminal nerve).
D. Cranial nerve II is the optic nerve responsible for vision. Testing visual acuity using a Snellen chart assesses this nerve's function.
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