ENT Flashcards
(107 cards)
What is otitis media?
Infection in the middle ear
What are the most common causes of otitis media?
- streptococcus pneumoniae
- haemophilus influenzae
- moraxella catarrhalis
Presentation of otitis media
- otalgia ear pain
- fever
- hearing loss
- recent viral URTI symtpoms
- ear discharge may occur if the eardrum has perforated
Otitis media on otoscopy
- Bulging tympanic membrane leading to loss of the light reflex
- opacification or erythema of the tympanic membrane
- otorrhoea
- inflammation of the tympanic membrane
What is the management of otitis media?
- normally self limiting within 3 days to a week
- analgesia
- advised to seek help if not resloved within 3 days
When should you prescribe antibiotics immediately for otitis media?
- symptoms lasting 4 days or not improving
- systemically unwell
- immunocompromised
- younger than 2 with bilateral otitis media
- otits media with perforation and/or discharge in the canal
Which antibiotic for otitis media?
Amoxicillin for 5-7 days, clarithromycin if penicillin allergy
Complications of otitis media
- perforation of the tympanic membrane
- hearing loss
- labyrinthitis (causing dizziness/vertigo)
- mastoiditis
- meningitis
- brain abscess
- facial nerve paralysis
What is chronic suppurative otits media?
Perforation of the tympanic membrane with otorrhoea for > 6 weeks
Where do nosebleeds normally originate?
Kisselbach’s plexus in littles area (at the front of the nasal cavity)
How can you categorise nosebleeds?
Anterior (normally kisselbach’s plexus) and posterior bleeds
What are the causes of epistaxis?
- nose picking or nose blowing
- trauma
- foreign body
- bleeding disorders e.g. thrombocytopenia or von willebrand
- snorting cocaine
- granulomatosis with polyangiitis
What is bleeding from both nostrils a sign of?
Posterior nose bleed
Management of mild epistaxis
- Sit patient up with head tilting forwards and mouth open
- squeeze the soft cartilaginous area of the nose firmly for 20 minutes (breath through mouth)
- if successful then consider naseptin (topical antiseptic) to reduce crusting
- follow up if comorbid cause suspected, or under 2
- avoid blowing or picking nose, heavy lifting, exercise, lying flat, drinking alcohol or hot drinks
What should you do if epistaxis continues despite 10-15 minutes of continuous pressure on the nose
- cautery if source of bleed is visible, use topical anaestheic spray then silver nitrate stick for 3-10 seconds (only cauterise one side of the septum), dab area with naseptin
- Packing if cautery not viable usign nasal tampons or inflatable pack
When is naseptin contraindicated?
Peanut or soya allergy
Management of epistaxis which has failed all emergency management
sphenopalatine ligation in theatre
What is nasal septum haematoma?
Complication of nasal trauma, development of haematoma between the septal cartilage and overlying perichondrium
Features of nasal septum haematoma
- may be caused by relatively minor trauma
- sentation of nasal obstruction
- pain
- rhinorrhoea
- bilateral red swelling arising from the nasal septum
- feel boggy (a deviated septum will feel firm)
What is the management of septal haematoma?
- surgical drianage
- intravenous antibiotics
Complication of septal haematoma
- septal necrosis may develop after 3-4 days
- saddle nose deformity
Differential diagnoses of facial pain
- trigeminal neuralgia: sever pain along distribution of trigeminal nerve
- sinusitis: nasal discharge or congestion
- dental problems
- tension type headache: band like
- migraine: unilateral throb
- giant cell arteritis
Explain Weber’s test
- tuning fork in centre of forehead
- normal = both ears equal
- senorineural: louder in normal ear
- conductive: louder in affected ear (ear becomes more sensitive to try to hear and when transmitted directly to the cochlea it is heard as louder)
Explain Rinne’s test
- mastoid process then 1cm from ear
- air conduction better than bone = normal
- in conductive, the sound is not heard when moved from the mastoid process to the ear canal