2025 Mastering Health Assessment Exam 3: Top
Nursing School Review with Multiple Choice
Questions and Detailed Solutions
1. Select the sequence of techniques used during an examination of the abdomen:
a) percussion, inspection, palpation, auscultation
b) inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
c) inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation ✅
d) auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: In abdominal assessment, inspection comes first, followed by
auscultation, then percussion, and finally palpation. This sequence prevents altering
bowel sounds, which can happen if you palpate or percuss first.
2. Which of the following may be noted through inspection of the abdomen?
a) fluid waves and abdominal contour
b) umbilical eversion and Murphy sign
c) venous pattern, peristaltic waves, and abdominal contour ✅
d) peritoneal irritation, general tympany, and peristaltic waves
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: Inspection can reveal external signs such as venous patterns, visible
peristalsis, and abdominal contour, which may indicate underlying issues.
3. Right upper quadrant tenderness may indicate pathology in the:
a) liver, pancreas, or ascending colon ✅
b) liver and stomach
c) sigmoid colon, spleen, or rectum
d) appendix or ileocecal valve
Correct Answer: a
Rationale: The right upper quadrant (RUQ) houses the liver, gallbladder, part of the
pancreas, and ascending colon, making them the likely sources of pain in that region.
,4. Hyperactive bowel sounds are:
a) high pitched
b) rushing
c) tinkling
d) all of the above ✅
Correct Answer: d
Rationale: Hyperactive bowel sounds are often described as high-pitched, rushing,
and tinkling, indicating increased intestinal activity (e.g., early bowel obstruction,
diarrhea).
5. The absence of bowel sounds is established after listening for:
a) 1 full minute
b) 3 full minutes
c) 5 full minutes ✅
d) none of the above
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: To confirm absence of bowel sounds, a nurse must listen for 5 full
minutes—often in multiple quadrants—to rule out ileus or obstruction.
6. Auscultation of the abdomen may reveal bruits of the ________________ arteries.
a) aortic, renal, iliac, and femoral ✅
b) jugular, aortic, carotid, and femoral
c) pulmonic, aortic, and portal
d) renal, iliac, internal jugular, and basilic
Correct Answer: a
Rationale: Bruits can indicate turbulent blood flow and are assessed over major
abdominal arteries: aortic, renal, iliac, and femoral.
7. The range of normal liver span in the right midclavicular line in the adult is:
a) 2–6 cm
b) 4–8 cm
c) 8–14 cm
d) 6–12 cm ✅
,✅ Correct Answer: d
Rationale: The normal liver span in the right midclavicular line is 6 to 12 cm in adults.
Larger sizes may indicate hepatomegaly.
8. The upper left quadrant (LUQ) contains the:
a) liver
b) appendix
c) left ovary
d) spleen ✅
✅ Correct Answer: d
Rationale: The LUQ contains the spleen, stomach, left kidney, and pancreas body,
making the spleen a key organ when LUQ pain is present.
9. Striae, which occur when the elastic fibers in the reticular layer of the skin are
broken after rapid or prolonged stretching, have a distinct color when of long
duration. This color is:
a) pink
b) blue
c) purple-blue
d) silvery white ✅
Correct Answer: d
Rationale: Over time, striae (stretch marks) fade from a reddish or purplish hue to
silvery white, especially after prolonged stretching.
10. Auscultation of the abdomen is begun in the right lower quadrant (RLQ)
because:
a) bowel sounds are always normally present here ✅
b) peristalsis through the descending colon is usually active
c) this is the location of the pyloric sphincter
d) vascular sounds are best heard in this area
✅ Correct Answer: a
Rationale: Bowel sounds are typically loudest in the RLQ near the ileocecal valve,
making it the ideal starting point for auscultation.
, 11. A dull percussion note forward of the left midaxillary line is:
a) normal, an expected finding during splenic percussion
b) expected between the 8th and 12th ribs.
c) found if the examination follows a large meal
d) indicative of splenic enlargement ✅
✅ Correct Answer: d
Rationale: Dullness on percussion in the area of the spleen forward of the midaxillary
line suggests splenomegaly.
12. Shifting dullness is a test for:
a) ascites
b) splenic enlargement
c) inflammation of the kidney
d) hepatomegaly
✅ Correct Answer: a
Rationale: Shifting dullness tests for fluid in the abdomen, such as in ascites, by
assessing movement of dullness when the patient changes position.
13. Tenderness during abdominal palpation is expected when palpating:
a) the liver edge
b) the spleen
c) the sigmoid colon ✅
d) the kidneys
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: Mild tenderness in the sigmoid colon may be normal, especially when it’s
filled with stool. Tenderness elsewhere may signal pathology.
14. Murphy sign is best described as:
a) the pain felt when the hand of the examiner is rapidly removed from an inflamed
appendix
b) pain felt when taking a deep breath when the examiner's fingers are on the
approximate location of the inflamed gall bladder ✅
c) a sharp pain felt by the patient when one hand of the examiner is used to thump the
Nursing School Review with Multiple Choice
Questions and Detailed Solutions
1. Select the sequence of techniques used during an examination of the abdomen:
a) percussion, inspection, palpation, auscultation
b) inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation
c) inspection, auscultation, percussion, palpation ✅
d) auscultation, inspection, palpation, percussion
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: In abdominal assessment, inspection comes first, followed by
auscultation, then percussion, and finally palpation. This sequence prevents altering
bowel sounds, which can happen if you palpate or percuss first.
2. Which of the following may be noted through inspection of the abdomen?
a) fluid waves and abdominal contour
b) umbilical eversion and Murphy sign
c) venous pattern, peristaltic waves, and abdominal contour ✅
d) peritoneal irritation, general tympany, and peristaltic waves
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: Inspection can reveal external signs such as venous patterns, visible
peristalsis, and abdominal contour, which may indicate underlying issues.
3. Right upper quadrant tenderness may indicate pathology in the:
a) liver, pancreas, or ascending colon ✅
b) liver and stomach
c) sigmoid colon, spleen, or rectum
d) appendix or ileocecal valve
Correct Answer: a
Rationale: The right upper quadrant (RUQ) houses the liver, gallbladder, part of the
pancreas, and ascending colon, making them the likely sources of pain in that region.
,4. Hyperactive bowel sounds are:
a) high pitched
b) rushing
c) tinkling
d) all of the above ✅
Correct Answer: d
Rationale: Hyperactive bowel sounds are often described as high-pitched, rushing,
and tinkling, indicating increased intestinal activity (e.g., early bowel obstruction,
diarrhea).
5. The absence of bowel sounds is established after listening for:
a) 1 full minute
b) 3 full minutes
c) 5 full minutes ✅
d) none of the above
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: To confirm absence of bowel sounds, a nurse must listen for 5 full
minutes—often in multiple quadrants—to rule out ileus or obstruction.
6. Auscultation of the abdomen may reveal bruits of the ________________ arteries.
a) aortic, renal, iliac, and femoral ✅
b) jugular, aortic, carotid, and femoral
c) pulmonic, aortic, and portal
d) renal, iliac, internal jugular, and basilic
Correct Answer: a
Rationale: Bruits can indicate turbulent blood flow and are assessed over major
abdominal arteries: aortic, renal, iliac, and femoral.
7. The range of normal liver span in the right midclavicular line in the adult is:
a) 2–6 cm
b) 4–8 cm
c) 8–14 cm
d) 6–12 cm ✅
,✅ Correct Answer: d
Rationale: The normal liver span in the right midclavicular line is 6 to 12 cm in adults.
Larger sizes may indicate hepatomegaly.
8. The upper left quadrant (LUQ) contains the:
a) liver
b) appendix
c) left ovary
d) spleen ✅
✅ Correct Answer: d
Rationale: The LUQ contains the spleen, stomach, left kidney, and pancreas body,
making the spleen a key organ when LUQ pain is present.
9. Striae, which occur when the elastic fibers in the reticular layer of the skin are
broken after rapid or prolonged stretching, have a distinct color when of long
duration. This color is:
a) pink
b) blue
c) purple-blue
d) silvery white ✅
Correct Answer: d
Rationale: Over time, striae (stretch marks) fade from a reddish or purplish hue to
silvery white, especially after prolonged stretching.
10. Auscultation of the abdomen is begun in the right lower quadrant (RLQ)
because:
a) bowel sounds are always normally present here ✅
b) peristalsis through the descending colon is usually active
c) this is the location of the pyloric sphincter
d) vascular sounds are best heard in this area
✅ Correct Answer: a
Rationale: Bowel sounds are typically loudest in the RLQ near the ileocecal valve,
making it the ideal starting point for auscultation.
, 11. A dull percussion note forward of the left midaxillary line is:
a) normal, an expected finding during splenic percussion
b) expected between the 8th and 12th ribs.
c) found if the examination follows a large meal
d) indicative of splenic enlargement ✅
✅ Correct Answer: d
Rationale: Dullness on percussion in the area of the spleen forward of the midaxillary
line suggests splenomegaly.
12. Shifting dullness is a test for:
a) ascites
b) splenic enlargement
c) inflammation of the kidney
d) hepatomegaly
✅ Correct Answer: a
Rationale: Shifting dullness tests for fluid in the abdomen, such as in ascites, by
assessing movement of dullness when the patient changes position.
13. Tenderness during abdominal palpation is expected when palpating:
a) the liver edge
b) the spleen
c) the sigmoid colon ✅
d) the kidneys
Correct Answer: c
Rationale: Mild tenderness in the sigmoid colon may be normal, especially when it’s
filled with stool. Tenderness elsewhere may signal pathology.
14. Murphy sign is best described as:
a) the pain felt when the hand of the examiner is rapidly removed from an inflamed
appendix
b) pain felt when taking a deep breath when the examiner's fingers are on the
approximate location of the inflamed gall bladder ✅
c) a sharp pain felt by the patient when one hand of the examiner is used to thump the
