What Causes the Characteristic Rigid Abdomen Found in the Patient

question 59

Multiple Choice

What causes the characteristic rigid abdomen found in the patient with peritonitis?

• A) Increased fluid and gas, causing abdominal distention
• B) Inflammation of the peritoneum and organs, causing a firm mass in the abdomen
• C) Inflamed peritoneum, resulting in reflex abdominal muscle spasm
• D) Voluntary contraction of the abdominal muscles as a protective mechanism

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Definitions:

2 × 3 ANOVA

A statistical test that analyzes the effects of two independent variables on a dependent variable, where the first variable has two levels and the second has three levels.

Null Hypotheses

The hypothesis that assumes no significant difference or relationship exists between specified populations or variables, used as a starting point for statistical testing.

2 × 2 Factorial ANOVA

A special case of factorial ANOVA that tests the effect of two independent variables, each having two levels, on a continuous dependent variable.