Head, Neck and Lymph Assessment Flashcards
Cranial Bones
frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal
Sutures
immovable joints that unite the cranial bones
Coronal Suture
crowns the head from ear to ear (frontal/parietal)
Sagittal Suture
separates the head lengthwise between 2 parietal bones
Lambdoid Suture
separates the parietal from the occipital bones
Salivary Glands include
parotid glands, submandibular gland and sublingual glands
parotid glands
cheeks over the mandible (non-palpable)
submandibular glands
below the mandible at the angle of the jaw
sublingual glands
floor of the mouth
Temporal Artery
pulsation is palpable in front or anterior to the ear
Neck
base of skull to the clavicle, 1st rib and 1st thoracic vertebra
Major Neck Muscles include
sternomastoid and trapezius
sternomastoid
sternum to mastoid process behind the ear (diagonally)
trapezius
occipital bone to scapula and clavicle (fans out)
thyroid gland
important endocrine gland with a rich blood supply
cricoid
just above the trachea (below the adam’s apple - thyroid cartilage)
lymphatics
major part of the immune system; detects and eliminates foreign substance from the body
Preauricular lymph
in front of the ear
Posterior auricular lymph
behind the ear (mastoid process)
Occipital lymph
base of the skull (posterior)
Submental lymph
under the chin (midline) behind the tip of the mandible
Submandibular lymph
along the mandible (jaw)
Tonsillar (Jugulodigastric) lymph
under the angle of the mandible
Superficial Cervical lymph
overlying the sternomastoid muscle
Deep Cervical lymph
deep under the sternocleidomastoid muscle
Posterior Cervical lymph
along the trapezius muscle
Supraclavicular lymph
above the clavicle
Infraclavicular lymph
below the clavicle
History (Subjective)
A. Headaches - unusually frequent, unusually severe
B. Head Injury
C. Dizziness - light headed
D. Neck Pain - limited ROM
E. Lumps or Swelling - in the head or neck
F. History of head or neck surgery
G. Medications
Inspect and Palpate the Skull
- Note Size and Shape - normocephallic, symmetrical skull that is appropriate to body size
- Temporal Area - palpate temporal artery; palpate temporomandibular joint as the client opens mouth (movement should be smooth, nontender)
normocephalic
term used to describe round
Inspect facial structures
Note symmetry, emotion, abnormal swelling, involuntary movements
Inspect and Palpate Neck
symmetry, ROM and swelling (parotid and thyroid gland)
symmetry of the neck
neck muscles symmetrical, head midline, (head erect/upright)
ROM of neck
a. Flexion, extension, side to side
b. Resistant ROM - shoulder shrug and side to side
Inspect and Palpate Lymph Nodes
using gentle circular motion of your finger pads
lymphadenopathy
enlargement of the lymph nodes (> 1 cm ) secondary to infection, allergy, neoplasm.
When assessing for lymphadenopathy, check
- Location
- Size
- Shape
- Delimitation (discrete or matted together)
- Mobility
- Consistency
- Tenderness
Normal Lymph Nodes
<1 cm, movable, soft, nontender, discrete
Inspect and Palpate Trachea
midline
Thyroid Gland Inspection and Palpation
- Inspection - observe swallowing with a sip of water
- Palpation - move behind patient, L hand/fingers sl push trachea to R, apply R fingers between the trachea and sternomastoid muscle, ask pt to swallow
