Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Test 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

The correct sequence for performing an abdominal assessment is inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation. This order is crucial for obtaining accurate and reliable findings when assessing the abdomen.

Inspection is performed first to visually assess the abdomen for any abnormalities such as distension, scars, or lesions. Following inspection, auscultation is conducted to listen for bowel sounds and other abdominal noises without the interference of palpation, which could alter the sounds produced.

After auscultation, percussion is performed to determine the size and density of the underlying organs and to assess for fluid or air in the abdominal cavity, which also should not be influenced by palpation. Lastly, palpation is conducted, which helps in assessing tenderness, masses, and organ size; it is done last to minimize discomfort or alteration of the abdominal contents that could occur if palpation was done earlier.

This established sequence ensures that each part of the examination provides the most informative data and helps maintain patient comfort during the assessment.