Auscultate the abdomen
Assignment Details
The purpose of this assignment is to practice the skills you have learned and demonstrate your ability to assess the abdomen and neurological system. For this assignment you will need to videotape yourself examining the abdomen on a volunteer of your choosing. This should take you between 30-45 minutes. When you are done you will document your findings. You will need to submit both your video and your documentation. Below are the required pieces in your assessment.
Abdomen:
Inspect the skin and contour of the abdomen
Observe for peristalsis and pulsations
Auscultate the abdomen
Auscultate for bruits over the aorta, renal arteries, iliac arteries and femoral arteries
Percuss the abdomen
Palpate the abdomen (light then deep)
Assess for peritoneal inflammation
Rebound tenderness
Murphy’s sign
Rovsing’s sign
Psoas sign
Obturator sign
Cutaneous hyperesthesia
Percuss liver
Palpate liver
Percuss spleen
Palpate spleen
Palpate bilateral kidneys
Assess for CVA tenderness
Palpate width of the aorta
Nervous system
Assess mental status
Cranial nerves 1-12
Motor system: muscle bulk, tone strength, coordination, gait and stance
Sensory system: pain/temp, vibration, light touch, discrimination
Deep tendon reflexes
Next, you will need to document your findings.
To view the Grading Rubric for this Assignment, please visit the Grading Rubrics section of the Course Resources.
Assignment Requirements
Before finalizing your work, you should:
be sure to read the Assignment description carefully (as displayed above)
consult the Grading Rubric to make sure you have included everything necessary; and
utilize spelling and grammar check to minimize errors.
Your writing Assignment should:
follow the conventions of Standard English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.);
be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful;
display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics; and