HAP FINAL EXAM STUDY Questions
The nurse is percussing the seventh right intercostal space at the midclavicular line over the liver. Which
sound should the nurse expect to hear?
a. Dullness
b. Tympany
c. Resonance
d. Hyperresonance - Answer-a (The liver is located in the right upper quadrant and would elicit a dull
percussion note.)
Which structure is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen?
a.Liver
b.Duodenum
c.Gallbladder
d.Sigmoid colon - Answer-d (The sigmoid colon is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen.)
,A patient is having difficulty swallowing medications and food. The nurse would document that this
patient has:
a. Aphasia.
b. Dysphasia.
c. Dysphagia.
d. Anorexia. - Answer-c (Dysphagia is a condition that occurs with disorders of the throat or esophagus
and results in difficulty swallowing. Aphasia and dysphasia are speech disorders. Anorexia is a loss of
appetite.)
The nurse suspects that a patient has a distended bladder. How should the nurse assess for this
condition?
a. Percuss and palpate in the lumbar region.
b. Inspect and palpate in the epigastric region.
c. Auscultate and percuss in the inguinal region.
d. Percuss and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone. - Answer-d (Dull percussion sounds
would be elicited over a distended bladder, and the hypogastric area would seem firm to palpation.)
The nurse is aware that one change that may occur in the gastrointestinal system of an aging adult is:
a. Increased salivation.
b. Increased liver size.
c. Increased esophageal emptying.
d. Decreased gastric acid secretion. - Answer-d (Gastric acid secretion decreases with aging. As one ages,
salivation decreases, esophageal emptying is delayed, and liver size decreases.)
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?
a. The spleen can be enlarged as a result of trauma.
b. The spleen is normally felt on routine palpation.
,c. If an enlarged spleen is noted, then the nurse should thoroughly palpate to determine its size.
d. An enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily rupture. - Answer-d (If an enlarged
spleen is felt, then the nurse should refer the person and should not continue to palpate it. An enlarged
spleen is friable and can easily rupture with overpalpation.)
A patient's abdomen is bulging and stretched in appearance. The nurse should describe this finding as:
a. Obese.
b. Herniated.
c. Scaphoid.
d. Protuberant. - Answer-d (A protuberant abdomen is rounded, bulging, and stretched (see Figure 21-
7). A scaphoid abdomen caves inward.)
The nurse is describing a scaphoid abdomen. To the horizontal plane, a scaphoid contour of the
abdomen depicts a ______ profile.
a. Flat
b. Convex
c. Bulging
d. Concave - Answer-d (Contour describes the profile of the abdomen from the rib margin to the pubic
bone; a scaphoid contour is one that is concave from a horizontal plane (see Figure 21-7).)
While examining a patient, the nurse observes abdominal pulsations between the xiphoid process and
umbilicus. The nurse would suspect that these are:
a. Pulsations of the renal arteries.
b. Pulsations of the inferior vena cava.
c. Normal abdominal aortic pulsations.
d. Increased peristalsis from a bowel obstruction. - Answer-c (Normally, the pulsations from the aorta
are observed beneath the skin in the epigastric area, particularly in thin persons who have good muscle
wall relaxation.)
, A patient has hypoactive bowel sounds. The nurse knows that a potential cause of hypoactive bowel
sounds is:
a. Diarrhea.
b. Peritonitis.
c. Laxative use.
d. Gastroenteritis. - Answer-B
(Diminished or absent bowel sounds signal decreased motility from inflammation as exhibited with
peritonitis, with paralytic ileus after abdominal surgery, or with late bowel obstruction.)
The nurse is watching a new graduate nurse perform auscultation of a patient's abdomen. Which
statement by the new graduate shows a correct understanding of the reason auscultation precedes
percussion and palpation of the abdomen?
a. "We need to determine the areas of tenderness before using percussion and palpation."
b. "Auscultation prevents distortion of bowel sounds that might occur after percussion and palpation."
c. "Auscultation allows the patient more time to relax and therefore be more comfortable with the
physical examination."
d. "Auscultation prevents distortion of vascular sounds, such as bruits and hums, that might occur after
percussion and palpation." - Answer-B
(Auscultation is performed first (after inspection) because percussion and palpation can increase
peristalsis, which would give a false interpretation of bowel sounds.)
The nurse is listening to bowel sounds. Which of these statements is true of bowel sounds? Bowel
sounds:
a. Are usually loud, high-pitched, rushing, and tinkling sounds.
b. Are usually high-pitched, gurgling, and irregular sounds.
c. Sound like two pieces of leather being rubbed together.
d. Originate from the movement of air and fluid through the large intestine. - Answer-B
(Bowel sounds are high-pitched, gurgling, and cascading sounds that irregularly occur from 5 to 30 times
per minute. They originate from the movement of air and fluid through the small intestine.)
The nurse is percussing the seventh right intercostal space at the midclavicular line over the liver. Which
sound should the nurse expect to hear?
a. Dullness
b. Tympany
c. Resonance
d. Hyperresonance - Answer-a (The liver is located in the right upper quadrant and would elicit a dull
percussion note.)
Which structure is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen?
a.Liver
b.Duodenum
c.Gallbladder
d.Sigmoid colon - Answer-d (The sigmoid colon is located in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen.)
,A patient is having difficulty swallowing medications and food. The nurse would document that this
patient has:
a. Aphasia.
b. Dysphasia.
c. Dysphagia.
d. Anorexia. - Answer-c (Dysphagia is a condition that occurs with disorders of the throat or esophagus
and results in difficulty swallowing. Aphasia and dysphasia are speech disorders. Anorexia is a loss of
appetite.)
The nurse suspects that a patient has a distended bladder. How should the nurse assess for this
condition?
a. Percuss and palpate in the lumbar region.
b. Inspect and palpate in the epigastric region.
c. Auscultate and percuss in the inguinal region.
d. Percuss and palpate the midline area above the suprapubic bone. - Answer-d (Dull percussion sounds
would be elicited over a distended bladder, and the hypogastric area would seem firm to palpation.)
The nurse is aware that one change that may occur in the gastrointestinal system of an aging adult is:
a. Increased salivation.
b. Increased liver size.
c. Increased esophageal emptying.
d. Decreased gastric acid secretion. - Answer-d (Gastric acid secretion decreases with aging. As one ages,
salivation decreases, esophageal emptying is delayed, and liver size decreases.)
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?
a. The spleen can be enlarged as a result of trauma.
b. The spleen is normally felt on routine palpation.
,c. If an enlarged spleen is noted, then the nurse should thoroughly palpate to determine its size.
d. An enlarged spleen should not be palpated because it can easily rupture. - Answer-d (If an enlarged
spleen is felt, then the nurse should refer the person and should not continue to palpate it. An enlarged
spleen is friable and can easily rupture with overpalpation.)
A patient's abdomen is bulging and stretched in appearance. The nurse should describe this finding as:
a. Obese.
b. Herniated.
c. Scaphoid.
d. Protuberant. - Answer-d (A protuberant abdomen is rounded, bulging, and stretched (see Figure 21-
7). A scaphoid abdomen caves inward.)
The nurse is describing a scaphoid abdomen. To the horizontal plane, a scaphoid contour of the
abdomen depicts a ______ profile.
a. Flat
b. Convex
c. Bulging
d. Concave - Answer-d (Contour describes the profile of the abdomen from the rib margin to the pubic
bone; a scaphoid contour is one that is concave from a horizontal plane (see Figure 21-7).)
While examining a patient, the nurse observes abdominal pulsations between the xiphoid process and
umbilicus. The nurse would suspect that these are:
a. Pulsations of the renal arteries.
b. Pulsations of the inferior vena cava.
c. Normal abdominal aortic pulsations.
d. Increased peristalsis from a bowel obstruction. - Answer-c (Normally, the pulsations from the aorta
are observed beneath the skin in the epigastric area, particularly in thin persons who have good muscle
wall relaxation.)
, A patient has hypoactive bowel sounds. The nurse knows that a potential cause of hypoactive bowel
sounds is:
a. Diarrhea.
b. Peritonitis.
c. Laxative use.
d. Gastroenteritis. - Answer-B
(Diminished or absent bowel sounds signal decreased motility from inflammation as exhibited with
peritonitis, with paralytic ileus after abdominal surgery, or with late bowel obstruction.)
The nurse is watching a new graduate nurse perform auscultation of a patient's abdomen. Which
statement by the new graduate shows a correct understanding of the reason auscultation precedes
percussion and palpation of the abdomen?
a. "We need to determine the areas of tenderness before using percussion and palpation."
b. "Auscultation prevents distortion of bowel sounds that might occur after percussion and palpation."
c. "Auscultation allows the patient more time to relax and therefore be more comfortable with the
physical examination."
d. "Auscultation prevents distortion of vascular sounds, such as bruits and hums, that might occur after
percussion and palpation." - Answer-B
(Auscultation is performed first (after inspection) because percussion and palpation can increase
peristalsis, which would give a false interpretation of bowel sounds.)
The nurse is listening to bowel sounds. Which of these statements is true of bowel sounds? Bowel
sounds:
a. Are usually loud, high-pitched, rushing, and tinkling sounds.
b. Are usually high-pitched, gurgling, and irregular sounds.
c. Sound like two pieces of leather being rubbed together.
d. Originate from the movement of air and fluid through the large intestine. - Answer-B
(Bowel sounds are high-pitched, gurgling, and cascading sounds that irregularly occur from 5 to 30 times
per minute. They originate from the movement of air and fluid through the small intestine.)
