Exam Guide
Abdominal Assessment Order: What Comes After Inspection
Health Assessment & Documentation · Question from the ATI PN Fundamentals 2023 Proctored Exam study set
Correct answer: Auscultation of the abdomen with a stethoscope
Why this is the answer
The correct sequence for abdominal assessment is inspect → auscultate → percuss → palpate. Auscultation comes before percussion and palpation because manipulating the abdomen can alter bowel sound activity.
The bigger concept
The abdomen is the one body region where auscultation moves ahead of percussion and palpation. Touching the abdomen first can stimulate or suppress peristalsis and give a false bowel-sound count. Image-based items on this exam often show a stethoscope, a percussing hand, and a palpating hand — pick the stethoscope. Remember also to auscultate all four quadrants and to listen up to five minutes in a quadrant before calling bowel sounds absent.
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