A 54-year-old man is admitted to the emergency department with a 2-day history of mild abdominal pain, in addition to bloating, nausea, vomiting, and poor appetite. Past medical history reveals that the patient has just recovered from a pneumonia infection. Radiographic examination reveals a paralytic ileus. Which of the following signs would most likely be found during a physical examination?

Adynamic ileus is essentially paralysis of the bowel. It can result from many causes, including kidney stone, spinal injury, peritonitis, etc. Typically, bowel obstruction is characterized initially by increased borborygmi (bowel sounds). Mechanical obstruction can be caused by blockage within the bowel or compression of the bowel from an external source. Increased borborygmi usually follow such obstructions immediately. As the bowel muscle tires, however, bowel sounds can become reduced or absent. Although this patient might have peritonitis, with an abdomen tender to palpation, the data simply indicate generalized abdominal pain. Crampy pain has not been noted.