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30 terms


solid viscera
internal organs of the abdoment that maintain a characteristic shape (liver, pancreas, spleen, adrenal glands, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus)
hollow viscera
internal organs of the abdomen that shape depends on contents (stomach, gallbladder, small intestine, colon, and bladder), usually not palpable
Right upper quadrant
contains liver, gallbladder, duodenum, head of pancreas, right kidney and adrenal, hepatic flexure of colon, part of ascending colon, transverse colon
right lower quadrant
contains cecum, appendix, right ovary and tube, right ureter, right sprermatic cord
left lower quadrant
contains part of descending colon, sigmoid colon, left ovary and tube, left ureter, left spermatic cord
left upper quadrant
contains stomach, spleen, left lobe of liver, body of pancreas, left kidney and adrenal, splenic flexure of colon, part of transverse and descending colon
loss of appetite that occurs with gastrointestinal disease
difficulty swallowing, occurs with disorders of the throat or esophagus
heartburn; a burning sensastion in esophagus and stomach, from reflux of gastric acid
Visceral Abdominal pain
pain from internal organ, usually dull, general poorly localized
Parietal Abdominal pain
pain from inflammation of overlying peritoneum; sharp, precisely localized, aggravated by movement
Referred Abdominal Pain
pain from a disorder in another site
Tarry Stools
stool resulting from occult blood from gastrointestinal bleeding
Gray Stools
these stools occur with hepatits
umbilicus is everted with this
Cullen' s Sign
intaabdominal bleeding; bluish periumbilical color
silery white, linear, jagged marks about 1cm to 6cm long; occur when elastic fibers in the reticular layer of the skin are broken after rapid or prolonged stretching
hyperistalsis of stomach growling; loud gurgling sounds
5 minutes
amount of time you must listen before deciding bowel signs are completely silent
bowel sounds are loud, high pitched, rushing, tinkling sounds that signal increased motility
bowel sounds that follow abdominal surgery or with inflammation of the peritoneum
this sound is present with gaseous distention
this sound occurs over a distended bladder, adipose tissue, fluid, or mass
enlarged liver span indicates liver enlargement known as this
free fluid in the abdominal cavity; test for fluid wave; test for shifting dullness
Blumberg's sign
rebound tenderness, a sign of peritoneal inflammation
Murphy's Sign
inspiratoy arrest; person feels sharp pain and abruptly stops inspiration midway when palpating liver
umbilical hernia
soft, skin covered mass, whcih is the protrusion of the omentum or intestine through a weakness or incomplete closure in the umbilical ring; more common in black, Chinese, and premature infants, most resolve spontaneously by 1 year
Peritoneal friction rub
rough, grating sound, like two pieces of leather rubbed together, indicates peritoneal inflammation
Aortic Aneurysm
most are located below the renal arteries and extend into the umbilicus; 80% are palpable during routine examination and feel like a pulsatingmass in the upper abdomen; hear a bruit as well