Abdominal Pain – Assessment

Abdominal pain assessment is a critical skill for nursing students, combining thorough histories, physical examinations, and collaborative approaches to care. Key steps in the assessment process include inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation of the abdomen​​. The inspection phase involves examining the abdomen for shape, contour, distention, discoloration, and any visible lesions or scars. Auscultation follows, starting in the right lower quadrant (RLQ) and moving in a sequence to cover all quadrants, listening for bowel sounds and bruits. Percussion in all quadrants helps identify areas of tympany or dullness, which could indicate underlying issues. Palpation includes both light and deep methods to assess for masses, tenderness, and rebound tenderness, which could suggest appendicitis​​. Nursing students are also taught to gather comprehensive subjective data, including detailed pain assessments to understand the characteristics, onset, progression, migration, nature, intensity, location, and triggers of abdominal pain. This includes the PQRST method (Provocation/Palliation, Quality/Quantity, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing/Treatment) to document pain precisely​​. They must also consider the onset of the pain, whether it's sudden, gradual, or progressive, and investigate any shifting or radiation of the pain, which could indicate various conditions like acute appendicitis or inflamed peritoneum​​​​​​. Assessing pain intensity using a 0-10 scale and identifying its location are also crucial​​. These assessments are part of a broader nursing process, which involves preparing patients for diagnostic tests and reviewing results to collaborate with the healthcare team. Management of abdominal pain depends on its cause and includes fluid and electrolyte balance, pain relief, and potentially surgical interventions​​. This comprehensive approach ensures that nursing students are well-equipped to assess and address abdominal pain effectively.