Asked by Daniel Scicchitano on May 20, 2024

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The nurse is preparing to assess a patient's abdomen by palpation. How should the nurse proceed?

A) Avoid palpation of reportedly "tender" areas because palpation in these areas may cause pain.
B) Palpate a tender area quickly to avoid any discomfort that the patient may experience.
C) Start the assessment with deep palpation, while encouraging the patient to relax and take deep breaths.
D) Begin the assessment with light palpation to detect surface characteristics and to accustom the patient to being touched.

Tender Areas

Specific regions on the body that are sensitive or painful to touch, often indicating inflammation or underlying medical conditions.

Surface Characteristics

The observable qualities or features of an object's outermost layer.

  • Absorb the foundational techniques and their purposes in conducting a physical examination, specifically inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation.
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MQ
Matias QuintanaMay 22, 2024
Final Answer :
D
Explanation :
Light palpation is initially performed to detect any surface characteristics and to accustom the person to being touched. Tender areas should be palpated last, not first.