Gastrointestinal Nursing Questions Related

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The nurse is percussing a patient's abdomen and hears a dull thud in the right upper quadrant. This sound indicates that the nurse is percussing over which location?

  • A. The liver
  • B. The small intestine
  • C. The stomach
  • D. The lungs
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: The liver. When percussing the abdomen, a dull thud in the right upper quadrant indicates the presence of a solid organ like the liver. The liver is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, making it the most likely source of the dull sound. The other choices are incorrect because the small intestine and stomach are hollow organs, which would produce a tympanic sound when percussed. The lungs are located in the thoracic cavity, not the abdominal cavity, so percussing over the lungs would not produce a sound in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen.