Overview

• Auscultate the abdomen for bowel sounds. First listen in one quadrant and if an abnormality is discovered then listen in each of the three other quadrants.
• In order to be sure that bowel sounds are absent, it is important to listen for at least five minutes.

• • Interpretation

  • Gurgling sounds: movement of gas and fluid via peristalsis
  • Borborygmi: loud rumbling sounds due to movement of air within the gut
  • Hypoactive: diminished or absent bowel sounds
  • Hyperactive: extremely increased bowel sounds
  • Hollow, high pitched tinkles: similar to rain on a tin roof, due to liquid and gas under pressure within dilated gut