2026 NSG 3160 Exam 4|REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES|
ALREADY GRADED A+|LATEST 2026 VERSION!!!
1. The nurse is percussing the seventh right intercostal space at the
midclavicular line over the liver. Which sound should the nurse
expect to hear?
Dullness
2. Which structure is located in the left lower quadrant of the
abdomen?
Sigmoid colon
3. A patient is having difficulty swallowing medications and food. the
nurse would document that this patient has:
Dysphagia.
4. The nurse suspects that a patient has a distended bladder. How
should the nurse assess for this condition?
percuss and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone.
5. The nurse is aware that one change that may occur in the
gastrointestinal system of an aging adult is:
Decreased gastric acid secretion.
6. A 22-year-old man comes to the clinic for an examination after
falling off his motorcycle and landing on his left side on the handle
bars. The nurse suspects that he may have injured his spleen. Which
of these statements is true regarding assessment of the spleen in this
situation?
An enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily
rupture.
pg. 1
,7. A patients abdomen is bulging and stretched in appearance. The
nurse should describe this finding as:
Protuberant.
8. The nurse is describing a scaphoid abdomen. To the horizontal
plane, a scaphoid contour of the abdomen depicts a ______ profile
Concave
9. While examining a patient, the nurse observes abdominal
pulsations between the xiphoid process and umbilicus. the nurse
would suspect that these are:
Normal abdominal aortic pulsations.
10. A patient has hypoactive bowel sounds. The nurse knows that a
potential cause of hypoactive bowel sounds is:
Peritonitis.
11. The nurse is watching a new graduate nurse perform auscultation
of a patients abdomen. Which statement by the new graduate shows a
correct understanding of the reason auscultation precedes percussion
and palpation of the abdomen?
Auscultation prevents distortion of bowel sounds that might occur
after percussion and palpation.
12. The nurse is listening to bowel sounds. Which of these statements
is true of bowel sounds? Bowel sounds:
Are usually high-pitched, gurgling, and irregular sounds.
pg. 2
,13. The physician comments that a patient has abdominal borborygmi.
The nurse knows that this term refers to:
Hyperactive bowel sounds.
14. During an abdominal assessment, the nurse would consider which
of these findings as normal?
Tympanic percussion notes in the umbilical region
15. The nurse is assessing the abdomen of a pregnant woman who is
complaining of having acid indigestion all the time. The nurse knows
that oesophageal reflux during pregnancy can cause:
Pyrosis.
16. The nurse is performing percussion during an abdominal
assessment. Percussion notes heard during the abdominal assessment
may include:
Tympany, hyperresonance, and dullness.
17. An older patient has been diagnosed with pernicious anemia. The
nurse knows that this condition could be related to:
Decreased gastric acid secretion.
18. A patient is complaining of a sharp pain along the costovertebral
angles. The nurse is aware that this symptom is most often indicative
of:
Kidney inflammation.
pg. 3
, 19. A nurse notices that a patient has ascites, which indicates the
presence of:
Fluid.
20. The nurse knows that during an abdominal assessment, deep
palpation is used to determine:
Enlarged organs.
21. The nurse notices that a patient has had a black, tarry stool and
recalls that a possible cause would be:
Gastrointestinal bleeding.
22. During an abdominal assessment, thenurse elicits tenderness on
light palpation in theright lower quadrant. thenurse interprets that this
finding could indicate a disorder of which of these structures?
Appendix
23. The nurse is assessing the abdomen of an older adult. Which
statement regarding the older adult and abdominal assessment is true?
Abdominal musculature is thinner.
24. During an assessment of a newborn infant, the nurse recalls that
pyloric stenosis would be exhibited by:
Projectile vomiting.
25. The nurse is reviewing the assessment of an aortic aneurysm.
Which of these statements is true regarding an aortic aneurysm?
pg. 4
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES|
ALREADY GRADED A+|LATEST 2026 VERSION!!!
1. The nurse is percussing the seventh right intercostal space at the
midclavicular line over the liver. Which sound should the nurse
expect to hear?
Dullness
2. Which structure is located in the left lower quadrant of the
abdomen?
Sigmoid colon
3. A patient is having difficulty swallowing medications and food. the
nurse would document that this patient has:
Dysphagia.
4. The nurse suspects that a patient has a distended bladder. How
should the nurse assess for this condition?
percuss and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone.
5. The nurse is aware that one change that may occur in the
gastrointestinal system of an aging adult is:
Decreased gastric acid secretion.
6. A 22-year-old man comes to the clinic for an examination after
falling off his motorcycle and landing on his left side on the handle
bars. The nurse suspects that he may have injured his spleen. Which
of these statements is true regarding assessment of the spleen in this
situation?
An enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily
rupture.
pg. 1
,7. A patients abdomen is bulging and stretched in appearance. The
nurse should describe this finding as:
Protuberant.
8. The nurse is describing a scaphoid abdomen. To the horizontal
plane, a scaphoid contour of the abdomen depicts a ______ profile
Concave
9. While examining a patient, the nurse observes abdominal
pulsations between the xiphoid process and umbilicus. the nurse
would suspect that these are:
Normal abdominal aortic pulsations.
10. A patient has hypoactive bowel sounds. The nurse knows that a
potential cause of hypoactive bowel sounds is:
Peritonitis.
11. The nurse is watching a new graduate nurse perform auscultation
of a patients abdomen. Which statement by the new graduate shows a
correct understanding of the reason auscultation precedes percussion
and palpation of the abdomen?
Auscultation prevents distortion of bowel sounds that might occur
after percussion and palpation.
12. The nurse is listening to bowel sounds. Which of these statements
is true of bowel sounds? Bowel sounds:
Are usually high-pitched, gurgling, and irregular sounds.
pg. 2
,13. The physician comments that a patient has abdominal borborygmi.
The nurse knows that this term refers to:
Hyperactive bowel sounds.
14. During an abdominal assessment, the nurse would consider which
of these findings as normal?
Tympanic percussion notes in the umbilical region
15. The nurse is assessing the abdomen of a pregnant woman who is
complaining of having acid indigestion all the time. The nurse knows
that oesophageal reflux during pregnancy can cause:
Pyrosis.
16. The nurse is performing percussion during an abdominal
assessment. Percussion notes heard during the abdominal assessment
may include:
Tympany, hyperresonance, and dullness.
17. An older patient has been diagnosed with pernicious anemia. The
nurse knows that this condition could be related to:
Decreased gastric acid secretion.
18. A patient is complaining of a sharp pain along the costovertebral
angles. The nurse is aware that this symptom is most often indicative
of:
Kidney inflammation.
pg. 3
, 19. A nurse notices that a patient has ascites, which indicates the
presence of:
Fluid.
20. The nurse knows that during an abdominal assessment, deep
palpation is used to determine:
Enlarged organs.
21. The nurse notices that a patient has had a black, tarry stool and
recalls that a possible cause would be:
Gastrointestinal bleeding.
22. During an abdominal assessment, thenurse elicits tenderness on
light palpation in theright lower quadrant. thenurse interprets that this
finding could indicate a disorder of which of these structures?
Appendix
23. The nurse is assessing the abdomen of an older adult. Which
statement regarding the older adult and abdominal assessment is true?
Abdominal musculature is thinner.
24. During an assessment of a newborn infant, the nurse recalls that
pyloric stenosis would be exhibited by:
Projectile vomiting.
25. The nurse is reviewing the assessment of an aortic aneurysm.
Which of these statements is true regarding an aortic aneurysm?
pg. 4
