Surgery Definition – How to perform examination on surgical patient?
Surgery Definition – How to perform examination on surgical patient?
The first step is to consider general inspection of the patient. In case of acute abdomen there are possibilities that the patient may be sweaty or diaphtoretic, looking unwell, lying with knees up or lying still to prevent any aggregation of pain.
Examination of the hand is considered to feel for any sweaty palms, or cools and clammy as signs of shock and feel the pulse for any tachycardia.
Inspect the fact for any signs of flushed or sweaty facial appearance. Inspect the mucous membrane. Dry mucous membrane indicates dehydration while pale mucous membrane is due to anemia or bleeding.
Inspect the abdomen for any hernia by asking the patient to raise the head off the bench to make the hernia more apparent. Inspect the abdomen also for any surgical scar. Any reduction in movement of the abdomen during respiration is a sign of peritonitis. Abdomen need to be palpated for any masses due to abdominal aortic aneurysm which can be expansile and pulsatile in the region of the epigastrium. Palpate the abdomen and notify any tenderness, rebound tenderness or guarding. Rebound tenderness can be tested by palpating the abdominal region and suddenly lifted your hand off the abdomen to see any pain from the patient or percuss the region to elicit any pain, asking the patient to blow out his/ her belly and suck it in later or ask the patient to cough. Auscultation of the bowel sound is important as an increase in the bowel sound is due to bowel obstruction and reduction in the bowel sound is due to peritonitis.
The first step is to consider general inspection of the patient. In case of acute abdomen there are possibilities that the patient may be sweaty or diaphtoretic, looking unwell, lying with knees up or lying still to prevent any aggregation of pain.
Examination of the hand is considered to feel for any sweaty palms, or cools and clammy as signs of shock and feel the pulse for any tachycardia.
Inspect the fact for any signs of flushed or sweaty facial appearance. Inspect the mucous membrane. Dry mucous membrane indicates dehydration while pale mucous membrane is due to anemia or bleeding.
Inspect the abdomen for any hernia by asking the patient to raise the head off the bench to make the hernia more apparent. Inspect the abdomen also for any surgical scar. Any reduction in movement of the abdomen during respiration is a sign of peritonitis. Abdomen need to be palpated for any masses due to abdominal aortic aneurysm which can be expansile and pulsatile in the region of the epigastrium. Palpate the abdomen and notify any tenderness, rebound tenderness or guarding. Rebound tenderness can be tested by palpating the abdominal region and suddenly lifted your hand off the abdomen to see any pain from the patient or percuss the region to elicit any pain, asking the patient to blow out his/ her belly and suck it in later or ask the patient to cough. Auscultation of the bowel sound is important as an increase in the bowel sound is due to bowel obstruction and reduction in the bowel sound is due to peritonitis.
