In which area would the nurse assess for Costovertebral angle tenderness quizlet?

Learn how to assess for costovertebral angle tenderness, also called CVA tenderness, in patients who are suspected of having a kidney infection.

Assessing for CVA tenderness is quick and easy! The video and tutorial below will guide you in how to check for this tenderness.

Who is at risk for costovertebral angle tenderness? Anyone who has experienced some type of urinary tract infection, especially UTIs that affect the upper urinary system such as the ureters and kidneys, k

In which area would the nurse assess for Costovertebral angle tenderness quizlet?
idney stones, or any other type of infection that affects the kidney.

Why does eliciting a response from the costovertebral angel cause tenderness? Located posteriorly to the last rib (specifically the 12th rib) and the spine is the costovertebral angle which anteriorly contains the right and left kidney. If either kidney is inflamed due to infection, a firm thump to this area will cause pain. Think of it as having an infected area on the surface of the skin….it will be red and swollen. If someone bumps into it or touches it this causes pain. This is the same concept with percussing the inflamed kidney over the costovertebral angle.

Video Demonstration on Checking for CVA Tenderness

How to Check for Costovertebral Angle Tenderness

  1. Position yourself to the patient’s back (posterior).
  2. Find the CVA by assessing for the 12th rib and the spine….just below the 12th rib in between the spine is the angle.
  3. Lay your non-dominate hand flat over the angle.
  4. Make a fist with your dominate hand and firmly thump the fist onto the flat non-dominate hand.
  5. Ask the patient if they felt tenderness or pain.

In which area would the nurse assess for Costovertebral angle tenderness quizlet?

In which area would the nurse assess for Costovertebral angle tenderness quizlet?

**If pain or tenderness is experienced by the patient it is considered “positive”. Therefore, the nurse should document the finding as positive for costovertebral angle tenderness, and notify the physician, who will order tests to further evaluate this finding.

Learn more about nursing head-to-toe assessments.

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Correct answers:
- recent increase in lethargy, and shortness of breath with activity
- pale, cool skin; weak pulses bilaterally
- delayed capillary refill time
- oxygen saturation, 93% on room air
- dark, tarry stools for the past month

The client is experiencing signs and symptoms of a gastrointestinal bleed, which includes increased lethargy; shortness of breath; pale, cool skin; weak pulses; decreased capillary refill time; and dark, tarry stools. The client is experiencing shortness of breath due to loss of blood in the gastrointestinal tract causing a decrease in hemoglobin and a decrease in oxygen-carrying capacity. The client's pale, cool skin and weak pulses are the result of blood loss. The decreased capillary refill time is a result of decreased perfusion due to the loss of blood volume. The decrease in oxygen saturation, 93% on room air, is also a result of blood loss, which decreases hemoglobin and causes decreased oxygen-carrying capacity. The client's heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate are all within normal limits.

In which area would the nurse assess for costovertebral angle tenderness?

The costovertebral angle (CVA) is located on your back at the bottom of your ribcage at the 12th rib.

Which of the following is the correct method to assess for costovertebral angle tenderness?

To test for CVA tenderness, the examiner first applies gentle pressure to the region inside of the CVA with their finger. If gentle pressure does not elicit tenderness, the examiner places one hand over the region inside the CVA and taps that hand gently with the closed fist of the other hand.

When performing an assessment to determine kidney tenderness where would the nurse assess?

Located posteriorly to the last rib (specifically the 12th rib) and the spine is the costovertebral angle which anteriorly contains the right and left kidney. If either kidney is inflamed due to infection, a firm thump to this area will cause pain.

Which action would the nurse take when assessing the neck area of a patient?

The nurse would test muscle strength of the neck against resistance by having the patient bend the head forward and back, turn the head to each side, and shrug the shoulders. The nurse grades tonsil size when examining the mouth and throat, not the neck.