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Questions and Answers
When administering eardrops, the nurse needs to pull the portion of the ear that consists of movable cartilage and skin down and back. What is this portion of the ear called?
When administering eardrops, the nurse needs to pull the portion of the ear that consists of movable cartilage and skin down and back. What is this portion of the ear called?
- Outer meatus
- Mastoid process
- Concha
- Auricle (correct)
What is the purpose of cerumen in the ear?
What is the purpose of cerumen in the ear?
- To transmit sound through the auditory canal
- To protect and lubricate the ear (correct)
- To indicate poor hygiene
- To signify infection when sticky and honey-colored
When examining the ear with an otoscope, how should the tympanic membrane appear?
When examining the ear with an otoscope, how should the tympanic membrane appear?
- Light pink with a slight bulge
- Whitish with a small fleck of light in the superior portion
- Pulled in at the base of the cone of light
- Pearly gray and slightly concave (correct)
Which part of the ear should the nurse pull down and back when administering eardrops?
Which part of the ear should the nurse pull down and back when administering eardrops?
Which of the following symptoms is characteristic of a carcinoma behind the pinna?
Which of the following symptoms is characteristic of a carcinoma behind the pinna?
What preliminary analysis can be made based on the description of a 5-year-old child's tympanic membrane being amber-yellow with air bubbles visible behind it?
What preliminary analysis can be made based on the description of a 5-year-old child's tympanic membrane being amber-yellow with air bubbles visible behind it?
What is an early sign of otitis media?
What is an early sign of otitis media?
Which of the following symptoms is not associated with otitis externa?
Which of the following symptoms is not associated with otitis externa?
What findings are suggestive of serous otitis media in a 5-year-old child?
What findings are suggestive of serous otitis media in a 5-year-old child?
What is the most likely diagnosis for a 65-year-old man with a crusty nodule behind the pinna that intermittently bleeds and has not healed over the past 6 months?
What is the most likely diagnosis for a 65-year-old man with a crusty nodule behind the pinna that intermittently bleeds and has not healed over the past 6 months?
What is the likely diagnosis for a 5-year-old child with a history of chronic ear infections, reporting occasional hearing loss and a popping sound with swallowing, and with an amber-yellow tympanic membrane?
What is the likely diagnosis for a 5-year-old child with a history of chronic ear infections, reporting occasional hearing loss and a popping sound with swallowing, and with an amber-yellow tympanic membrane?
What is a characteristic feature of an ulcerated crusted nodule with an indurated base?
What is a characteristic feature of an ulcerated crusted nodule with an indurated base?
What is the function of the Eustachian tube?
What is the function of the Eustachian tube?
What is the normal pathway for hearing?
What is the normal pathway for hearing?
What can cause sensorineural hearing loss?
What can cause sensorineural hearing loss?
What can damage the organ of Corti and impair hearing in infants?
What can damage the organ of Corti and impair hearing in infants?
Why are infants more prone to ear infections?
Why are infants more prone to ear infections?
What causes conductive hearing loss?
What causes conductive hearing loss?
Which part of the ear is responsible for vertigo?
Which part of the ear is responsible for vertigo?
What happens to the eustachian tube during swallowing or yawning?
What happens to the eustachian tube during swallowing or yawning?
What conducts vibrations of sounds to the inner ear?
What conducts vibrations of sounds to the inner ear?
What conducts nerve impulses to the brain from the organ of Corti?
What conducts nerve impulses to the brain from the organ of Corti?
What can impair hearing in infants if it occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy?
What can impair hearing in infants if it occurs in the first trimester of pregnancy?
What is the function of the labyrinth?
What is the function of the labyrinth?
Which condition is a common cause of conductive hearing loss in young adults aged 20-40 years?
Which condition is a common cause of conductive hearing loss in young adults aged 20-40 years?
What is presbycusis?
What is presbycusis?
Which type of cerumen is more common in Asians and Native Americans?
Which type of cerumen is more common in Asians and Native Americans?
What should be the focus of history questions when there is a suspected perforated eardrum?
What should be the focus of history questions when there is a suspected perforated eardrum?
What is recruitment in the context of hearing loss?
What is recruitment in the context of hearing loss?
What could put a child at risk for hearing deficits during pregnancy?
What could put a child at risk for hearing deficits during pregnancy?
What is the correct action during an otoscopic examination on an adult?
What is the correct action during an otoscopic examination on an adult?
Why is assessing for any drainage from the ear canal in a patient with head injuries crucial?
Why is assessing for any drainage from the ear canal in a patient with head injuries crucial?
What does purulent drainage from the ear after trauma suggest?
What does purulent drainage from the ear after trauma suggest?
What does a cerebrospinal leak from the ear indicate after trauma?
What does a cerebrospinal leak from the ear indicate after trauma?
What is the correct approach in performing a voice test to assess hearing?
What is the correct approach in performing a voice test to assess hearing?
What is the expected response of a 7-month-old infant to a loud sudden noise?
What is the expected response of a 7-month-old infant to a loud sudden noise?
What is a normal finding in an 80-year-old patient's ears?
What is a normal finding in an 80-year-old patient's ears?
What does a bright red tympanic membrane with an absent or distorted light reflex in a 3-year-old indicate?
What does a bright red tympanic membrane with an absent or distorted light reflex in a 3-year-old indicate?
What is the purpose of tympanostomy tubes?
What is the purpose of tympanostomy tubes?
What are the signs of otitis externa?
What are the signs of otitis externa?
What is the recommended distance for the nurse to stand during the otoscopic examination to ensure the patient can hear whispered sounds?
What is the recommended distance for the nurse to stand during the otoscopic examination to ensure the patient can hear whispered sounds?
When is it essential to perform an otoscopic examination in infants and children?
When is it essential to perform an otoscopic examination in infants and children?
What should the nurse notice in an infant to indicate normal hearing ability?
What should the nurse notice in an infant to indicate normal hearing ability?
What is the purpose of cerumen in the ear?
What is the purpose of cerumen in the ear?
What is the function of tympanic membrane?
What is the function of tympanic membrane?
What are tympanostomy tubes surgically inserted into the eardrum for?
What are tympanostomy tubes surgically inserted into the eardrum for?
What is the expected response of a 7-month-old infant to a loud sudden noise?
What is the expected response of a 7-month-old infant to a loud sudden noise?
Study Notes
Hearing Loss Assessment and Management
- Otosclerosis is a common cause of conductive hearing loss in young adults aged 20-40 years.
- Presbycusis is a gradual sensorineural hearing loss that occurs in 60% of those older than 65 years, affecting localization of sound in noisy environments.
- Dry, flaky cerumen in the ear canal is more common in Asians and Native Americans, while wet cerumen is typical in Blacks and Whites.
- With a suspected perforated eardrum, a history question should focus on the relationship between ear pain and discharge.
- Recruitment is significant hearing loss that becomes painful when speech is at low intensity and is a characteristic of this condition.
- Exposure to maternal ototoxic drugs or maternal rubella during pregnancy could put a child at risk for hearing deficits.
- During an otoscopic examination on an adult, the correct action is to pull the pinna up and back before inserting the speculum.
- Assessing for any drainage from the ear canal in a patient with head injuries is crucial as bloody or clear watery drainage can indicate a basal skull fracture.
- Purulent drainage from the ear after trauma suggests otitis externa or otitis media, while cerebrospinal leak indicates a basal skull fracture.
- In performing a voice test to assess hearing, the nurse should not shield the lips to muffle the sound.
Ear Examination and Assessment Summary
- Otoscopic examination involves whispering random numbers and letters to the patient and asking them to repeat to test hearing.
- Eardrum assessment is mandatory for infants or children with illness or fever and should be performed toward the end of the examination.
- The appearance of the tympanic membrane in a newborn may appear thick and opaque, with mild redness.
- A 7-month-old infant is expected to turn their head to localize a loud sudden noise.
- For an 80-year-old patient, high-tone frequency hearing loss and increased elasticity of the pinna are normal findings.
- Reddish-blue discoloration and swelling of the auricle in a 23-year-old patient could indicate frostbite from prolonged exposure to extreme cold.
- A bright red tympanic membrane with an absent or distorted light reflex in a 3-year-old may indicate acute otitis media.
- Tympanostomy tubes are surgically inserted into the eardrum to relieve middle ear pressure and promote drainage in children with chronic or recurrent middle ear infections.
- In otitis externa, signs include severe swelling of the canal, inflammation, and tenderness, with lymphatic drainage flowing to the parotid, mastoid, and superficial cervical nodes.
- The nurse should stand approximately 4 feet away to ensure the patient can hear whispered sounds during the otoscopic examination.
- It is essential to perform an otoscopic examination in infants and children with suspected ear infections or illness, and the timing of the examination is best toward the end of the complete assessment.
- The nurse should notice the infant turning their head to localize the sound and respond to their name with a loud sudden noise.
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Description
Test your knowledge on assessing and managing hearing loss with questions covering causes, examinations, and management strategies for various age groups and conditions related to ear health.
