Abdominal Aorta Palpation

How to Perform

With the patient supine, knees slightly flexed and the abdomen relaxed, press the fingers of both hands deeply into the upper-middle abdomen just above the umbilicus, one hand on each side of the aorta. Feel for the aortic pulsation and estimate the width of the aorta between your hands, noting whether the pulsation is expansile (pushing your hands apart) rather than simply transmitted.

How to Interpret