If borborygmus is noted during assessment, what finding may the nurse expect when auscultating bowel sounds?

When borborygmus is noted during the assessment, it indicates the presence of excessive or hyperactive bowel sounds. Borborygmus refers to the rumbling noises made by the movement of fluid and gas in the intestines, often associated with increased peristalsis, which is the wave-like muscular contractions that move food through the digestive tract. This increased activity in the intestines leads to more pronounced and frequent bowel sounds, classified as hyperactive.

The presence of borborygmus typically suggests underlying gastrointestinal activity, which might be due to various factors such as hunger, the digestive process, or in some cases, gastrointestinal disturbances. In contrast, absent bowel sounds would indicate a lack of intestinal activity, hypoactive bowel sounds would suggest diminished activity, and normal bowel sounds would reflect standard intestinal function without excessive rumblings. Therefore, when borborygmus is detected, the anticipated finding upon auscultation would indeed be hyperactive bowel sounds.