ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT - THE ABDOMEN- 2025-2026
EXAM WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+100% CORRECT ANSWERS, 2025
LAT, EXAMS OF NURSING
1. The nurse admits a client with intermittent colicky pain at the left
lower quadrant of the abdomen. Which type of pain is the client
referring to?
a. Muscular pain
b. Visceral pain
c. Referred pain
d. Parietal pain
Ans: (B)
Visceral pain occurs when hollow abdominal organs such as the
intestine or biliary tree contract unusually forcefully or are distended or
stretched. Solid organs such as the liver can also become painful when
their capsules are stretched. Visceral pain may be difficult to localize. It
is typically palpable near the midline at levels that vary according to the
structure involved. Visceral pain varies in quality and may be gnawing,
burning, cramping, or aching. When it becomes severe, it may be
associated with sweating, pallor, nausea, vomiting, and restlessness.
1. A client with chest pain tells the nurse that he also feels the pain on
the jaw and the shoulder. The nurse understands that this type of pain
is called
a. Referred pain
b. Parietal pain
c. Muscular pain
d. Visceral pain
,Ans: (A)
Referred pain is felt in more distant sites that share the same
innervations as the source of pain. Referred pain often develops as the
initial pain becomes more intense and thus seems to radiate or travel
from the initial site. It may be felt superficially or deeply but is usually
well localized.
1. The nurse is doing the history of a patient with pain that ifs felt in the
epigastric area. Which of the following cluster of client manifestations
are considered "alarm symptoms" for gastric cancer?
a. Dysphagia, odynophagia, coffee ground emesis
b. Weight loss, diarrhea, dehydration
c. Recurrent vomiting, 2cm x 2cm lump on the upper right quadrant,
fever
d. Hematochezia, hematemesis, epistaxis
Ans: (A)
Red flags or alarm symptoms for gastric cancer include: difficulty
swallowing (dysphagia), pain with swallowing (odynophagia), recurrent
vomiting, and evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding (coffee ground
emesis), weight loss and anemia.
1. A 21-year old woman is being seen at the emergency department
due to right lower abdominal pain. She has missed her period for two
consecutive months. She feels weak and dizzy. The nurse knows to
prioritize which of the following nursing actions?
a. Continue assessing by palpating the abdomen
b. Perform a pregnancy test
c. Apply hot compress to the affected area.
d. Inspect the abdomen for ascites
,Ans: (B)
With the given findings of lower abdominal pain and missed periods,
the nurse suspects ectopic pregnancy especially if accompanied by
other symptoms like rigidity of abdominal muscles, weakness and
dizziness. Palpating the abdomen is contraindicated as the risk of
rupturing the fallopian tube is high.
1. A nurse is reviewing the client's records from an earlier shift and
notes that the result of the barium enema revealed "apple core" lesions
on the sigmoid colon. The client is passing pencil-like stools. Which
disorder is the nurse most likely considering?
a. Gastric cancer
b. Colon cancer
c. Diverticulitis
d. Chron disease
Ans: (B)
Thin, pencil-like stool occurs in an obstructing "apple core" lesion of the
sigmoid colon. The nurse considers colon cancer if the above are
accompanied by the following: melena, hematochezia, diarrhea,
constipation, feeling of incomplete bowel emptying, bloating, cramps
weight loss and fatigue.
1. The nurse is doing a health teaching on a client with colon cancer.
She is explaining the different types of bleeding manifestations. Of
particular interest to her is the type of bleeding associated with colon
cancer and that is passing of fresh blood or maroon-colored stool. The
client understands the teaching if he replies with which answer?
a. Hematemesis
b. Steatorrhea
, c. Hematochezia
d. Melena
Ans: (C)
Hematochezia is passing of blood-streaked stools, stools that are bright
or dark red in color. This is caused by lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
Hematemesis is vomiting of fresh blood or of occult blood of 'coffee-
grounds' consistency. Steatorrhea is passing of fatty malodorous stools.
Melena is presence of occult blood in the stool.
1. A client with hepatitis is asking the nurse why his skin turned yellow.
Which response is the most accurate to explain why jaundice happens?
a. Decreased production of bilirubin
b. Increased uptake of bilirubin by the hepatocytes
c. Increased ability of the liver to conjugate bilirubin
d. Decreased excretion of bilirubin into the bile, resulting in absorption
of conjugated bilirubin back into the blood
Ans: (D)
Jaundice or the yellowing of the skin is caused by several factors:
increased production of bilirubin, decreased uptake of bilirubin by the
hepatocytes, decreased ability of the liver to conjugate bilirubin,
decreased excretion of bilirubin into the bile, resulting in absorption of
conjugated bilirubin back into the blood
1. A client presenting with upper right quadrant steady pain is getting
frantic about his stools that has turned grey. Which of the following
nursing response will correctly address the client's concern?
a. "Your body cannot digest food properly because it lacks the enzymes
that turn stools brownish or greenish"
b. "Bile, the substance in your gallbladder that gives color to the stool,
EXAM WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+100% CORRECT ANSWERS, 2025
LAT, EXAMS OF NURSING
1. The nurse admits a client with intermittent colicky pain at the left
lower quadrant of the abdomen. Which type of pain is the client
referring to?
a. Muscular pain
b. Visceral pain
c. Referred pain
d. Parietal pain
Ans: (B)
Visceral pain occurs when hollow abdominal organs such as the
intestine or biliary tree contract unusually forcefully or are distended or
stretched. Solid organs such as the liver can also become painful when
their capsules are stretched. Visceral pain may be difficult to localize. It
is typically palpable near the midline at levels that vary according to the
structure involved. Visceral pain varies in quality and may be gnawing,
burning, cramping, or aching. When it becomes severe, it may be
associated with sweating, pallor, nausea, vomiting, and restlessness.
1. A client with chest pain tells the nurse that he also feels the pain on
the jaw and the shoulder. The nurse understands that this type of pain
is called
a. Referred pain
b. Parietal pain
c. Muscular pain
d. Visceral pain
,Ans: (A)
Referred pain is felt in more distant sites that share the same
innervations as the source of pain. Referred pain often develops as the
initial pain becomes more intense and thus seems to radiate or travel
from the initial site. It may be felt superficially or deeply but is usually
well localized.
1. The nurse is doing the history of a patient with pain that ifs felt in the
epigastric area. Which of the following cluster of client manifestations
are considered "alarm symptoms" for gastric cancer?
a. Dysphagia, odynophagia, coffee ground emesis
b. Weight loss, diarrhea, dehydration
c. Recurrent vomiting, 2cm x 2cm lump on the upper right quadrant,
fever
d. Hematochezia, hematemesis, epistaxis
Ans: (A)
Red flags or alarm symptoms for gastric cancer include: difficulty
swallowing (dysphagia), pain with swallowing (odynophagia), recurrent
vomiting, and evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding (coffee ground
emesis), weight loss and anemia.
1. A 21-year old woman is being seen at the emergency department
due to right lower abdominal pain. She has missed her period for two
consecutive months. She feels weak and dizzy. The nurse knows to
prioritize which of the following nursing actions?
a. Continue assessing by palpating the abdomen
b. Perform a pregnancy test
c. Apply hot compress to the affected area.
d. Inspect the abdomen for ascites
,Ans: (B)
With the given findings of lower abdominal pain and missed periods,
the nurse suspects ectopic pregnancy especially if accompanied by
other symptoms like rigidity of abdominal muscles, weakness and
dizziness. Palpating the abdomen is contraindicated as the risk of
rupturing the fallopian tube is high.
1. A nurse is reviewing the client's records from an earlier shift and
notes that the result of the barium enema revealed "apple core" lesions
on the sigmoid colon. The client is passing pencil-like stools. Which
disorder is the nurse most likely considering?
a. Gastric cancer
b. Colon cancer
c. Diverticulitis
d. Chron disease
Ans: (B)
Thin, pencil-like stool occurs in an obstructing "apple core" lesion of the
sigmoid colon. The nurse considers colon cancer if the above are
accompanied by the following: melena, hematochezia, diarrhea,
constipation, feeling of incomplete bowel emptying, bloating, cramps
weight loss and fatigue.
1. The nurse is doing a health teaching on a client with colon cancer.
She is explaining the different types of bleeding manifestations. Of
particular interest to her is the type of bleeding associated with colon
cancer and that is passing of fresh blood or maroon-colored stool. The
client understands the teaching if he replies with which answer?
a. Hematemesis
b. Steatorrhea
, c. Hematochezia
d. Melena
Ans: (C)
Hematochezia is passing of blood-streaked stools, stools that are bright
or dark red in color. This is caused by lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
Hematemesis is vomiting of fresh blood or of occult blood of 'coffee-
grounds' consistency. Steatorrhea is passing of fatty malodorous stools.
Melena is presence of occult blood in the stool.
1. A client with hepatitis is asking the nurse why his skin turned yellow.
Which response is the most accurate to explain why jaundice happens?
a. Decreased production of bilirubin
b. Increased uptake of bilirubin by the hepatocytes
c. Increased ability of the liver to conjugate bilirubin
d. Decreased excretion of bilirubin into the bile, resulting in absorption
of conjugated bilirubin back into the blood
Ans: (D)
Jaundice or the yellowing of the skin is caused by several factors:
increased production of bilirubin, decreased uptake of bilirubin by the
hepatocytes, decreased ability of the liver to conjugate bilirubin,
decreased excretion of bilirubin into the bile, resulting in absorption of
conjugated bilirubin back into the blood
1. A client presenting with upper right quadrant steady pain is getting
frantic about his stools that has turned grey. Which of the following
nursing response will correctly address the client's concern?
a. "Your body cannot digest food properly because it lacks the enzymes
that turn stools brownish or greenish"
b. "Bile, the substance in your gallbladder that gives color to the stool,
