Chapter 16: Ears (Practice Questions) Flashcards
The nurse needs to pull the portion of the ear that consists of movable cartilage and skin down and back when administering ear drops. This portion of the ear is called the:
a. Auricle.
b. Concha.
c. Outer meatus.
d. Mastoid process.
a. Auricle.
The nurse is examining a patients ears and notices cerumen in the external canal. Which of these statementd about cerumen is correct?
a. Sticky honey-colored cerumen is a sign of infection.
b. The presence of cerumen is indicative of poor hygiene.
c. The purpose of cerumen is to protect and lubricate the ear.
d. Cerumen is necessary for transmitting sound through the auditory canal.
c. The purpose of cerumen is to protect and lubricate the ear.
When examining the ear with an otoscope, the nurse notes that the tympanic membrane should appear:
a. Light pink with a slight bulge.
b. Pearly gray and slightly concave.
c. Pulled in at the base of the cone of light.
d. Whitish with a small fleck of light in the superior portion
b. Pearly gray and slightly concave.
The nurse is reviewing the structures of the ear. Which of these statements concerning the eustachian tube is true?
a. The eustachian tube is responsible for the production of cerumen.
b. It remains open except when swallowing or yawning.
c. The eustachian tube allows passage of air between the middle and outer ear.
d. It helps equalize air pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane.
d. It helps equalize air pressure on both sides of the tympanic membrane.
A patient with a middle ear infection asks the nurse, What does the middle ear do? The nurse responds by
telling the patient that the middle ear functions to:
a. Maintain balance.
b. Interpret sounds as they enter the ear.
c. Conduct vibrations of sounds to the inner ear.
d. Increase amplitude of sound for the inner ear to function.
c. Conduct vibrations of sounds to the inner ear.
The nurse is reviewing the function of the cranial nerves (CNs). Which CN is responsible for conducting
nerve impulses to the brain from the organ of Corti?
a. I
b. III
c. VIII
d. XI
c. VIII
The nurse is assessing a patient who may have hearing loss. Which of these statements istrue concerning air conduction?
a. Air conduction is the normal pathway for hearing.
b. Vibrations of the bones in the skull cause air conduction.
c. Amplitude of sound determines the pitch that is heard.
d. Loss of air conduction is called a conductive hearing loss.
a. Air conduction is the normal pathway for hearing.
A patient has been shown to have a sensorineural hearing loss. During the assessment, it would be important for the nurse to:
a. Speak loudly so the patient can hear the questions.
b. Assess for middle ear infection as a possible cause.
c. Ask the patient what medications he is currently taking.
d. Look for the source of the obstruction in the external ear.
c. Ask the patient what medications he is currently taking.
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 the:
a. Cochlea.
b. CN VIII.
c. Organ of Corti.
d. Labyrinth.
d. Labyrinth.
A 31-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has noticed a progressive loss in his hearing. He says that it
does seem to help when people speak louder or if he turns up the volume of a television or radio. The most
likely cause of his hearing loss is:
a. Otosclerosis.
b. Presbycusis.
c. Trauma to the bones.
d. Frequent ear infections.
a. Otosclerosis.
A 70-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has noticed that he is having trouble hearing, especially in large
groups. He says that he cant always tell where the sound is coming from and the words often sound mixed up. What might the nurse suspect as the cause for this change?
a. Atrophy of the apocrine glands
b. Cilia becoming coarse and stiff
c. Nerve degeneration in the inner ear
d. Scarring of the tympanic membrane
c. Nerve degeneration in the inner ear
During an assessment of a 20-year-old Asian patient, the nurse notices that he has dry, flaky cerumen in his canal. What is the significance of this finding? This finding:
a. Is probably the result of lesions from eczema in his ear.
b. Represents poor hygiene.
c. Is a normal finding, and no further follow-up is necessary.
d. Could be indicative of change in cilia; the nurse should assess for hearing loss.
c. Is a normal finding, and no further follow-up is necessary.
The nurse is taking the history of a patient who may have a perforated eardrum. What would be an important question in this situation?
a. Do you ever notice ringing or crackling in your ears?
b. When was the last time you had your hearing checked?
c. Have you ever been told that you have any type of hearing loss?
d. Is there any relationship between the ear pain and the discharge you mentioned?
d. Is there any relationship between the ear pain and the discharge you mentioned?
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 normal for people of his age.
b. Is a characteristic of recruitment.
c. May indicate a middle ear infection.
d. Indicates that the patient has a cerumen impaction.
b. Is a characteristic of recruitment.
The nurse is performing an otoscopic examination on an adult. Which of these actions iscorrect?
a. Tilting the persons head forward during the examination
b. Once the speculum is in the ear, releasing the traction
c. Pulling the pinna up and back before inserting the speculum
d. Using the smallest speculum to decrease the amount of discomfort
c. Pulling the pinna up and back before inserting the speculum
