bowel sounds how long  listen for ?
Listen for bowel sounds for atleast 1 min in each quadrant and you should hear anywhere from 5-30 bowel sounds in each quadrant. If you don't hear anything or (0-4 bowel sounds) in a quadrant after 1 minute listen for a full 5 min. 0 to 4 bowel sounds heard in 5 min are called hypoactive Bowel sounds, more than 30 bowel sounds in a minute are called hyperactive... Hope this helps you ;--) May 14, '09.