Question

The nurse is performing a focused abdominal assessment of a patient who recently has been admitted. To palpate the patient's liver, where should the nurse palpate the patient's abdomen?

Answer 1

To palpate the patient's liver, the nurse should palpate in the right upper quadrant of the patient's abdomen, just below the diaphragm to the right of the stomach. The liver is primarily located in this region, with the larger right lobe being the focus of palpation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When performing a focused abdominal assessment to palpate a patient's liver, the nurse should palpate in the right upper quadrant of the patient's abdomen. This area is located inferior to the diaphragm and just to the right of the stomach, where the liver primarily resides. The right lobe of the liver, which is the larger of the two primary lobes, is the target location for palpation.

Health care providers delimit the abdomen into nine regions or four quadrants to communicate clearly about abdominal findings. Given that the liver is protected by the rib cage, careful palpation should be performed starting below the edge of the ribcage and moving diagonally towards the center of the upper abdomen to ensure proper assessment is achieved.