Ears, Nose, Mouth, and Throat Flashcards
Otorrhea
ear drainage
Otalgia
ear pain
Tinnitus
ringing in the ear
Dysphagia
difficulty swallowing
General Approach to examiniation
Sitting position
Compare right to left
Systematic approach
Examination of the Ear
Auditory screening
Inspection and palpation of external ear
Otoscopic examination
Test CN III (auditory)
voice-whisper test, Weber’s Test, Rinne’s Test
Voice-Whisper Test
Patient to occlude one ear with finger (ear not being tested)
Stand 2 feet behind ear being tested and whisper a two- syllable word or phrase
Patient to repeat the word
Repeat test for other ear
Normal findings of Voice-Whisper Test
Able to repeat words whispered at a distance of 2 feet
Weber’s Test
Place vibrating tuning fork on midline of head
Check for lateralization of sound
Normal findings of Weber’s Test
Sound heard equally in both ears (no lateralization)
Weber’s Conductive hearing loss
Tested via Weber’s. Sound lateralizes to affected ear
Sound is conducted directly through the bone to the ear
Weber’s Sensorineural hearing loss
Tested via Weber’s. Sound lateralizes to unaffected ear. Related to nerve damage in affected ear.
Cause of Sensorineural hearing loss
disorder of the inner ear, auditory nerve, or brain
Cause of Conductive Hearing Loss
Due to blocked auditory canal, perforated tympanic membrane, fluid in middle ear, fusion of ossicles
Rinne’s Test
put fork on mastoid process and instruct patient to say when sound stops= bone conduction
Note the time interval and immediately move still-vibrating fork in front of the auditory meatus
Instruct patient to say when sound stops= air conduction
Note the time interval
Determine AC to BC ratio
Repeat on opposite ear
Normal Findings of Rinne’s Test
Air conduction > bone conduction (2:1 ratio)= positive test
AC is twice as long as BC
Rinne’s test for Conductive Hearing loss
Bone conduction equal to or greater than air conduction
AC<BC
Rinne’s test for Sensorineural Hearing loss
Air conduction and bone conduction are equally depreciated so 2:1 ratio of AC to BC is maintained AC>BC Air conduction > bone conduction but less than 2:1
Ear Inspection
Position Size Color Shape and symmetry Deformities, inflammation, lesions, or nodules
Inspect distal external auditory canal
Discharge and odor
Ear postition
Top of ear should be level with lower lid
Palpate Auricle
Tenderness or pain Swelling Nodules or lesions Move auricle up and down to assess for pain of auditory canal Palpate over tragus area
Palpate Mastoid process
tenderness
Inspection of ear Normal Findings
Flesh color
Positioned appropriately and in proportion to the head
No foreign bodies, redness, drainage, deformities, nodules, or lesions
No mastoid tenderness
Abnormal findings for color
pale, red, or cyanotic