The nurse is palpating the sinus areas.
If the findings are normal, then the patient should report which sensation?

Choice A rationale

Avoiding palpation of tender areas completely would be an incomplete assessment. While direct, forceful palpation of an acutely tender area should be approached cautiously, it is essential to gently assess the area's boundaries, consistency, and the presence of rebound tenderness or guarding to gather crucial diagnostic information.

Choice B rationale

Examining the tender area first in an abdominal assessment can cause significant pain and muscle guarding, making it difficult to assess other quadrants effectively and potentially skewing the assessment findings. This approach can also reduce patient cooperation for the remainder of the examination.

Choice C rationale

Auscultation for bowel sounds typically precedes palpation in an abdominal assessment because palpation can alter bowel motility and therefore the character of bowel sounds. While palpating the tender area last is correct, performing auscultation after palpation would introduce an artifact.

Choice D rationale

Examining the tender area last is the correct technique during an abdominal assessment. This approach minimizes patient discomfort, allows for a more thorough and accurate assessment of the non-tender areas first, and helps to establish rapport before eliciting potential pain, thereby ensuring a more reliable and complete examination.

Choice A rationale

Surgical history provides context regarding past medical interventions and potential anatomical alterations. While relevant for comprehensive patient assessment, it does not directly impact the immediate safety of medication administration in the same critical manner as identifying drug hypersensitivities, which can precipitate life-threatening anaphylactic reactions.

Choice B rationale

Drug tolerance refers to a diminished physiological response to a medication over time, requiring increased doses to achieve the same effect. While important for therapeutic efficacy and dose adjustment, it is secondary to the immediate danger posed by an allergic reaction, which can be acute and severe.

Choice C rationale

Diet history is crucial for identifying potential drug-food interactions or nutritional deficiencies that might influence medication absorption or metabolism. However, an adverse food interaction, while potentially problematic, typically poses less immediate and severe risk than an unknown drug allergy, which can be fatal.

Choice D rationale

Allergy history is paramount because exposure to an allergen can trigger a severe, potentially life-threatening immunological response, such as anaphylaxis. Identifying known allergies prevents direct exposure to the offending agent, thereby safeguarding the patient from acute hypersensitivity reactions and ensuring immediate patient safety.