Palpation, or touching, of the abdomen involves using the flat of the hand and fingers (not the fingertips) to detect palpable organs, abnormal masses, or tenderness [13] (see Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)...Palpation, or touching, of the abdomen involves using the flat of the hand and fingers (not the fingertips) to detect palpable organs, abnormal masses, or tenderness [13] (see Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\) [14] ).When palpating the abdomen of a patient reporting abdominal pain, the nurse should palpate that area last.
