The nurse is caring for a client who is one day post op after having abdominal surgery. While auscultating bowel sounds for a full one minute, the nurse hears 3 bowel sounds. The nurse would chart this as bowel sounds.
A.
hyperactive
B.
active
C.
hypoactive
D.
absent
The correct answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is C. hypoactive.
Explanation:
Bowel sounds are crucial indicators of gastrointestinal function and can be categorized into different types based on their frequency and characteristics. The assessment of bowel sounds is typically performed using a stethoscope to listen to the abdominal area for at least one minute in each quadrant.
- Normal Bowel Sounds: These are typically described as “active” and occur approximately every 5 to 15 seconds, which translates to around 30 to 35 sounds per minute. They are considered normal and indicate a healthy, functioning gastrointestinal system.
- Hyperactive Bowel Sounds: These are more frequent and can be heard more often than the normal range. They are characterized by sounds that are louder and more frequent, which might indicate increased gastrointestinal motility, often seen in conditions like gastroenteritis or early bowel obstruction.
- Hypoactive Bowel Sounds: These are less frequent than normal and can be heard less than 5 times per minute. Hypoactive bowel sounds are associated with decreased gastrointestinal motility, which could be a sign of postoperative ileus, bowel obstruction, or other conditions that slow down the bowel function. The finding of only 3 bowel sounds in one minute is below the normal frequency range and indicates hypoactivity.
- Absent Bowel Sounds: If no bowel sounds are heard after listening for several minutes in each quadrant, it is considered absent. This condition is often a serious concern and may indicate a complete bowel obstruction or severe ileus requiring immediate medical attention.
In the context of a postoperative patient, a decrease in bowel sounds can be a common finding due to the effects of anesthesia and the surgical procedure, which can temporarily slow down bowel activity. Monitoring these sounds is crucial to ensure that the gastrointestinal function is returning to normal as the patient recovers.