Final answer:
A nurse assessing the abdomen of a patient who has been unable to void for 12 hours is most likely to encounter dull tones over the suprapubic area, indicating the presence of a distended bladder.
Correct option is D
Step-by-step explanation:
If a nurse expects to find a specific physical exam finding after a patient has been unable to void for 12 hours, the most likely finding would be dull tones over the suprapubic area. This is because the bladder, when distended with urine, tends to produce a dull sound upon percussion. When the bladder is full or overdistended due to inability to void, the fluid-filled nature of the organ dampens the sound wave, resulting in a dull tone instead of the tympanic (drum-like) sounds typically found in gas-filled areas.
Absent or hyperactive bowel sounds might suggest gastrointestinal issues, but they are not directly related to the inability to void. Abdominal tympanic tones are usually more associated with gas in the gastrointestinal tract rather than urine retention. Therefore, dullness in the suprapubic area, which is typical for a distended bladder, would be most expected.