Abdominal examination
1. Introduce yourself
2. Confirm the Patients identity
3. Then state to the patient – Today I have been asked to examine your abdomen, this will involve
looking from the end of the bed, feeling various areas of the abdomen and then listening at the end
would that be okay?
4. Ask the patient if they have any pain anywhere and whether they have any questions.
5. Start by having a look at the end of the bed for:
Body habitus = The physique or body build
Scars
Jaundice= if someone has liver disease they can have abdominal pain.
Masses = An abdominal mass is a growth or swelling in a part of your abdomen
Abdominal distension = occurs when substances, such as air (gas) or fluid, accumulate in the abdomen
causing its expansion
6. Then tell the patient you’d like to start by looking at their hands and ask them to bring their hands up
in front of them please. (look for koilonychia and leukonychia)
koilonychia - Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is
large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver
condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you
eat.
1. Introduce yourself
2. Confirm the Patients identity
3. Then state to the patient – Today I have been asked to examine your abdomen, this will involve
looking from the end of the bed, feeling various areas of the abdomen and then listening at the end
would that be okay?
4. Ask the patient if they have any pain anywhere and whether they have any questions.
5. Start by having a look at the end of the bed for:
Body habitus = The physique or body build
Scars
Jaundice= if someone has liver disease they can have abdominal pain.
Masses = An abdominal mass is a growth or swelling in a part of your abdomen
Abdominal distension = occurs when substances, such as air (gas) or fluid, accumulate in the abdomen
causing its expansion
6. Then tell the patient you’d like to start by looking at their hands and ask them to bring their hands up
in front of them please. (look for koilonychia and leukonychia)
koilonychia - Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is
large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver
condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you
eat.
