FINAL EXAMS: NURS190 / NURS 190 (LATEST 2025 /
2026 UPDATES STUDY BUNDLE PACKAGE WITH
SOLUTIONS) PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT| QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS | GRADE A | 100% CORRECT - WEST
COAST
the order of health and physical assessment
.....ANSWER.....inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation
order of health and physical assessment for the abdomen
.....ANSWER.....inspect, auscultation, percussion, palpation
inspection .....ANSWER.....general observation of the patient as a
whole, progressing to specific body areas
palpation .....ANSWER.....an examination technique in which the
examiner's hands are used to feel the texture, size, consistency,
and location of certain body parts
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palmar aspect .....ANSWER.....used to determine position
,consistency, texture, size of structure ,pain, and tenderness
dorsal surface of hand .....ANSWER.....most sensitive to
temperature
finger pads .....ANSWER.....use for discrimination of underlying
structures and functions such as pulses superficial lymph nodes or
crepitus
ulnar surface of hand .....ANSWER.....most sensitive to vibration
light palpation .....ANSWER.....the safest least uncomfortable
method and allows the patient to become accustomed to the
nurses touch
assess surface characteristics such as skin texture pulse or tender
inflamed area near the surface of the skin
depth of 1 cm
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deep palpation .....ANSWER.....palpating the abdomen and
organs that lie deep within a body cavity when overlying
musculature is thick tends origin such as an obesity or with
abdominal guarding
depth of 2 cm to 4 cm
percussion .....ANSWER.....a diagnostic procedure designed to
determine the density of a body part by the sound produced by
tapping the surface with the fingers
direct percussion .....ANSWER.....technique of tapping the body
with fingertips of the dominant hand
used on sinuses of adult or thorax of infants
blunt percussion .....ANSWER.....place in the palm of nondominant
hand flat against the body surface and striking the non-dominant
hand with the dominant hand with a closed fist to deliver a blow
used on assessing gallbladder, liver, and kidney
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indirect percussion .....ANSWER.....using hammer or tip of finger
as a plexor to produce sound
abdomen .....ANSWER.....tympanic sound: loud high pitched drum-
like tone occurs
lungs .....ANSWER.....resonance sound: loud low pitched hollow
tone occurs
hyperresonance sound: abnormally loud low pitched tone occurs
dense organs .....ANSWER.....dullness sound: high pitched soft and
short occurs
bones .....ANSWER.....flatness sound: high pitched tone very soft
and short occurs
auscultation .....ANSWER.....listening to sounds within the body
with a stethoscope
pain assessment .....ANSWER.....o: onset
l : location