The nurse is performing a rectal exam on a patient suspected of urethral injury. Which of the following supports this suspicion?
Explanation
• Injury can cause urethral rupture, leading to a hematoma that is felt as a boggy mass during a rectal examination
• Urethral rupture would cause the prostate to become high riding. This would not be palpable
• Reduced sphincter tone is evidence of a spinal cord injury
• The rectal exam is rarely comfortable. Severe discomfort can be cause for concern, but this is not evidence of urethral injury