A client with abdominal discomfort and constipation is admitted. Which finding would most concern the nurse for a potential obstruction?

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Multiple Choice

A client with abdominal discomfort and constipation is admitted. Which finding would most concern the nurse for a potential obstruction?

In bowel obstruction, auscultation findings reflect how hard the bowel is working to move contents past the blockage. Early obstruction often presents with increased peristaltic activity as the intestine tries to overcome the obstruction, producing high-pitched, tinky or squeaky sounds. This hyperactive, high-pitched pattern is a more specific sign of obstruction than other findings. Striae are just skin stretch marks and don’t indicate obstruction. Borborygmi—the loud gurgling sounds—can occur with several GI states and isn’t as specific to obstruction as the high-pitched sounds. Tympany on percussion shows gas-filled looping bowel but isn’t itself diagnostic of obstruction and can appear with other distended states. So the high-pitched bowel sounds best signal that the bowel is actively responding to an obstruction. Remember, if obstruction persists, bowel sounds may later become hypoactive or absent as the bowel becomes fatigued or ileus develops.

In bowel obstruction, auscultation findings reflect how hard the bowel is working to move contents past the blockage. Early obstruction often presents with increased peristaltic activity as the intestine tries to overcome the obstruction, producing high-pitched, tinky or squeaky sounds. This hyperactive, high-pitched pattern is a more specific sign of obstruction than other findings.

Striae are just skin stretch marks and don’t indicate obstruction. Borborygmi—the loud gurgling sounds—can occur with several GI states and isn’t as specific to obstruction as the high-pitched sounds. Tympany on percussion shows gas-filled looping bowel but isn’t itself diagnostic of obstruction and can appear with other distended states.

So the high-pitched bowel sounds best signal that the bowel is actively responding to an obstruction. Remember, if obstruction persists, bowel sounds may later become hypoactive or absent as the bowel becomes fatigued or ileus develops.

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