NCLEX RN Medical Surgical Questions and Answers Related

Review NCLEX RN Medical Surgical Questions and Answers related questions and content

A client is admitted to the hospital after vomiting bright red blood and is diagnosed with a bleeding duodenal ulcer. The client develops a sudden, sharp pain in the midepigastric region along with a rigid, boardlike abdomen. These clinical manifestations most likely indicate which of the following?

  • A. An intestinal obstruction has developed.
  • B. Additional ulcers have developed.
  • C. The esophagus has become inflamed.
  • D. The ulcer has perforated.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Sudden, sharp midepigastric pain with a rigid, boardlike abdomen strongly suggests ulcer perforation, a life-threatening complication requiring urgent intervention. The other options do not align with these clinical manifestations.