ear, nose, throat Flashcards
why do children get more frequent ear infections than adults?
they have a flatter eustachian tubes that connect to the pharynx
hearing physiology
conductive - sound waves move to the external auditory canal and vibrate the eardrum
sensorineural - sound waves pass into the cochlea and signal the temporal cortex
how to pull ear for otoscopic exam depending on age
older children/adult - up, out, and back
children <3 - down, out, and back
what does otoscopy assess?
external canal and cerumen
whisper test
3 words whispered to patient 1-2 feet behind who then repeats
each ear individually, occlude opposite ear
equal syllables - baseball, ninety nine, snowflake
Rinne test
hold tuning fork on mastoid (bone)and ask pt when they can no longer hear, then in front of ear (air) (air should be >bone)
Weber test
tap tuning fork to top of head and midline scalp - should be equal in both ears
geriatric hearing changes
increased tinnitus
increased hearing loss
pinna elongates and thickens
increased coarse hair in the ear canal
frequent cerumen impaction
higher risk for skin cancer
where does the eustachian tube drain
pharynx
otoscopic exam
view landmarks - ossicle bones, light reflex (cone of light)
most common sinuses for complaint
maxillary, frontal
infant nose considerations
obligatory nose breathers - may interefere w feeding
foreign body
nasal flaring - resp distress
full sinus development after age 6
pregnancy nose consideration
increased congestion
epistaxis - increased vascularity
geriatric nose considerations
increased fragility of mucosa
anticoagulant therapy
decreased sense of smell
what is drooling concerning for?
epiglottitis, peritonsillar abcess
