ENT Chapter Flashcards
(72 cards)
The nurse is examining a patient’s ears and notices cerumen in the external canal. Which of these statements about cerumen is correct?
A. Sticky honey-colored cerumen is a sign of infection.
B. The purpose of cerumen is to protect and lubricate the ear.
C. The presence of cerumen is indicative of poor hygiene.
D. Cerumen is necessary for transmitting sound through the auditory canal.
B. The purpose of cerumen is to protect the ear
A 31-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has noticed pain in his left ear when people speak loudly to him. The nurse knows that this finding:
A. is a characteristic of recruitment.
B. may indicate a middle ear infection.
C. is normal for people of that age.
D. indicates that the patient has a cerumen impaction.
A. Characteristic of recruitment
A colleague is assessing an 80-year-old patient who has ear pain and asks him to hold his nose and swallow. The nurse knows that which of the following is true concerning this technique?
A. This is especially useful in assessing a patient with an upper respiratory infection.
B. This should not be used in an 80-year-old patient.
C. This technique is helpful in assessing for otitis media.
D. This will cause the eardrum to bulge slightly and make landmarks more visible.
B. This should not be used in an 80 year old
The projections in the nasal cavity that increase the surface area are called the:
A. septum.
B. meatus.
C. Kiesselbach plexus.
D. turbinates.
D. Turbinates
The nurse is doing an assessment on a 21-year-old patient and notices that his nasal mucosa appears pale, gray, and swollen. What would be the most appropriate question to ask the patient?
A. “Have you been having frequent nosebleeds?”
B. “Do you have an elevated temperature?”
C. “Have you had any symptoms of a cold?”
D. “Are you aware of having any allegies?”
D. Are you aware of having any allergies
When assessing the tongue of an adult, the nurse knows that an abnormal finding would be:
A. a thin white coating over the tongue.
B. visible venous patterns on the ventral surface.
C. a smooth glossy dorsal surface.
D. raised papillae on the dorsal surface.
C. Smooth glossy tongue
Which of these techniques best describes the test the nurse should use to assess the function of cranial nerve X?
A. Assess movement of the hard palate and uvula with the gag reflex.
B. Ask the patient to say “ahhh” and watch for movement of the soft palate and uvula.
C. Have the patient stick out the tongue and observe for tremors or pulling to one side.
D. Observe the patient’s ability to articulate specific words.
B. Ask the patient to say Ahh
The nurse is performing a middle ear assessment on a 15-year-old patient who has a history of chronic ear infections. When examining the right tympanic membrane, the nurse sees the presence of dense white patches. The tympanic membrane is otherwise unremarkable. It is pearly, with the light reflex at 5 o’clock and landmarks visible. The nurse should:
A. consider that these findings may represent the presence of blood in the middle ear.
B. know that these are scars caused from frequent ear infections.
C. refer the patient for the possibility of a fungal infection.
D. be concerned about the ability to hear because of this abnormality on the tympanic membrane.
B. Know that these scars are caused by frequent ear infections
During an interview, the patient states he has the sensation that “everything around him is spinning.” The nurse recognizes that the portion of the ear responsible for this sensation is:
A. the cochlea.
B. cranial nerve VIII.
C. the labyrinth.
D. the organ of Corti.
C. The labyrinth
The nurse is assessing an 80-year-old patient. Which of these findings would be expected for this patient?
A. An increased production of saliva
B. Finer and less prominent nasal hair
C. A decreased ability to identify odors
D. Hypertrophy of the gums
C. A decreased ability to identify odors
When assessing the tongue of an adult, the nurse knows that an abnormal finding would be:
A. visible venous patterns on the ventral surface.
B. a smooth glossy dorsal surface.
C. raised papillae on the dorsal surface.
D. a thin white coating over the tongue.
B. a smooth glossy dorsal surface..
What is the most common cause of conductive hearing loss in adults between the ages if 20-40 years of age?
Otosclerosis
Wet cerumen
Wet cerumen is honey brown to dark brown and moist. Occurs in Caucasians and African Americans.
Any discharge from your ears?
Ask patient if their is any relationship between the discharge and the ear pain?
dry Cerumen
Dry cerumen is gray, flaky, and frequently found in Asians and American Indians
What is presbycusis?
A gradual onset over the years, whereas a trauma sudden loss is often sudden. REFER any SUDDEN loss in one or both ears NOT associated with upper respiratory infection (URI)
What is tinnitus?
Tinnitus is ringing, crackling,or buzzing in your ears.
Tinnitus
Many medications have ototoxic sequale so be sure to ask if they are taking any medications.
What is recruitment?
A marked loss when speech is at low intensity, but sound actually becomes PAINFUL when the speaker repeats in a loud voice.
Vertigo
Ever felt vertigo; that is, the room spinning around or yourself spinning? (Vertigo is a true twirling motion)
Objective vertigo
Feels like the room spins
Subjective vertigo
Person feels like he or she spins
Distinguish true vertigo from dizziness or light headed ness
Inspect and palpate the external ear
The ears are equal bilaterally with no swelling or thickening.
Ears of unusual size and shape may be normal due to family trait and not of any clinical significance.
Skin condition
The skin color should be consistent with the face. The skin should be intact with no lumps or lesions.
