Thyroid Examination Flashcards

1
Q

What position do you need the patient in?

A

Sitting in a chair

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2
Q

What equipment do you need?

A

Stethoscope
Glass of Water
Tendon hamer
Piece of paper

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3
Q

What are you looking at during inspection?

A

Behaviour
Hands - temp, wet/dry, clubbing, colour changes, tremor
Radial pulse - rate and rhythm
Face - dry skin/sweating, eyebrows
Eyes - from front, side and above
Eye movements
Thyroid - shouldn’t be visible - skin changes, scars, masses

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4
Q

How do you check for their tremor?

A

Hands out with piece of paper on top

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5
Q

How do you determine whether a thyroid mass is a mass or a cyst?

A

Ask them to swallow water - mass moves

Ask them to stick their tongue out - cyst moves

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6
Q

What and how are you palpating?

A

Stand behind them, with their neck slightly flexed
Ask if they are in any pain
Thyroid - find upper edge (Adam’s apple), move inferiorly (cricoid cartilage)
- feel each lobe, move laterally
- swallow water
- stick out tongue
- size, symmetry, consistency, masses, palpable thrill
Lymph nodes - submental, cervical, clavicular
Tracheal deviation

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7
Q

Where do you percuss?

A

Downwards from the sternal notch

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8
Q

Where do you auscultate?

A

The lobes - for bruits

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9
Q

What special tests do you do?

A

Reflexes - bicep
Pretibial myxoedema - look at shins
Proximal myopathy - stand up with arms crossed (inability suggests proximal muscle wasting)

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