Exam 16: Nose, Mouth, and Throat

The nurse is assessing a patient with a history of intravenous drug abuse.In assessing his mouth,the nurse notices a dark red confluent macule on the hard palate.This could be an early sign of:

A 72-year-old patient has a history of hypertension and chronic lung disease.An important question for the nurse to include in the health history would be:

A pregnant woman states that she is concerned about her gums because she has noticed they are swollen and have started bleeding.What would be an appropriate response by the nurse?

During an assessment of a 26 year old at the clinic for "a spot on my lip I think is cancer," the nurse notices a group of clear vesicles with an erythematous base around them located at the lip-skin border.The patient mentions that she just returned from Hawaii.What would be the most appropriate response by the nurse?

While obtaining a health history,a patient tells the nurse that he has frequent nosebleeds and asks the best way to get them to stop.What would be the nurse's best response?

The nurse is obtaining a health history on a 3-month-old infant.During the interview,the mother states,"I think she is getting her first tooth because she has started drooling a lot." The nurse's best response would be:

Immediately after birth,the nurse is unable to suction the nares of a newborn.An attempt is made to pass a catheter through both nasal cavities with no success.What should the nurse do next?

During an oral examination of a 4-year-old Native-American child,the nurse notices that her uvula is partially split.Which of these statements is accurate?

The nurse is assessing an 80-year-old patient.Which of these findings would be expected for this patient?

A 40-year-old patient who has just finished chemotherapy for breast cancer tells the nurse that she is concerned about her mouth.During the assessment the nurse finds areas of buccal mucosa that are raw and red with some bleeding,as well as other areas that have a white,cheesy coating.The nurse recognizes that this abnormality is:

The nurse is assessing a 3 year old for "drainage from the nose." On assessment,a purulent drainage that has a very foul odor is noted from the left naris and no drainage is observed from the right naris.The child is afebrile with no other symptoms.What should the nurse do next?

A mother brings her 4-month-old infant to the clinic with concerns regarding a small pad in the middle of the upper lip that has been there since 1 month of age.The infant has no health problems.On physical examination,the nurse notices a 0.5-cm,fleshy,elevated area in the middle of the upper lip.No evidence of inflammation or drainage is observed.What would the nurse tell this mother?

A 10 year old is at the clinic for "a sore throat that has lasted 6 days." Which of these findings would be consistent with an acute infection?

A patient comes into the clinic complaining of facial pain,fever,and malaise.On examination,the nurse notes swollen turbinates and purulent discharge from the nose.The patient also complains of a dull,throbbing pain in his cheeks and teeth on the right side and pain when the nurse palpates the areas.The nurse recognizes that this patient has:

During an assessment of a 20-year-old patient with a 3-day history of nausea and vomiting,the nurse notices dry mucosa and deep vertical fissures in the tongue.These findings are reflective of:

The nurse notices that the mother of a 2-year-old boy brings him into the clinic quite frequently for various injuries and suspects there may be some child abuse involved.During an inspection of his mouth,the nurse should look for:

The salivary gland that is the largest and located in the cheek in front of the ear is the _________ gland.

While performing an assessment of the mouth,the nurse notices that the patient has a 1-cm ulceration that is crusted with an elevated border and located on the outer third of the lower lip.What other information would be most important for the nurse to assess?

While obtaining a health history from the mother of a 1-year-old child,the nurse notices that the baby has had a bottle in his mouth the entire time.The mother states,"It makes a great pacifier." The best response by the nurse would be:

The nurse is palpating the sinus areas.If the findings are normal,then the patient should report which sensation?