A patient is brought to the emergency department with a knife impaled in the abdomen following a domestic fight. During the initial assessment of the patient, it is important for the nurse to

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The initial assessment is focused on determining whether the patient has hypovolemic shock. The knife should not be removed until the patient is in surgery, where bleeding can be controlled. Rovsing's sign is assessed in the patient with suspected appendicitis. A patient with a knife in place will be taken to surgery and assessed for bladder trauma there.

A Patient Is Brought to the Emergency Department with a Knife