Published
There are also times you will hear "tinkling/high pitched bowel sounds" They are produced by bowel becoming distended in response to peristalsis/ trying to move food and fluid along the bowel against a mechanical obstruction.
The NPO status really has no real impact on the Bowel sounds...the bowel sounds are based on the medical situation that is/was present.
aria_alice
5 Posts
I was talking to a nurse during one of my clinicals regarding NPO and bowel sounds and he said something that confused me. In nursing school, we were taught that typically a patient in NPO would have hypoactive bowel sounds since there is no food to cause intestinal movement. However, the nurse I was speaking with said that the patient's bowel sounds would be hyperactive because they are hungry therefore you'll hear growling sounds.
I personally haven't heard a NPO patient with hyperactive bowel sounds. I'm not sure if I misunderstood him or what but has any of you experienced this? Is this right, wrong, common, rare?
Thanks