Exam 15: Ears

A 70-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has noticed that he is having trouble hearing,especially in large groups.He says he "can't always tell where the sound is coming from" and the words often sound "mixed up." What might the nurse suspect as the cause for this change?

A patient in her first trimester of pregnancy is diagnosed with rubella.The nurse recognizes that the significance of this in relation to the infant's hearing is which of the following?

The mother of a 2-year-old is concerned because her son has had three ear infections in the past year.What would be an appropriate response by the nurse?

A patient has been shown to have a sensorineural hearing loss.During the assessment,it would be important for the nurse to:

A 31-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has noticed a progressive loss in his hearing.He says that it does seem to help when people speak louder or if he turns up the volume.The most likely cause of his hearing loss is:

The nurse is examining a patient's ears and notices cerumen in the external canal.Which of the following statements about cerumen is correct?

During the ear examination of an 80-year-old patient,which of the following would be a normal finding?

Which of the following cranial nerves is responsible for conducting nerve impulses to the brain from the organ of Corti?

The nurse is taking the history of a patient who may have a perforated eardrum.What would be an important question in this situation?

When examining the ear with an otoscope,the nurse remembers that the tympanic membrane should appear:

During an examination,the patient states he is hearing a buzzing sound and says that it is "driving me crazy!" The nurse recognizes that this symptom is:

A 31-year-old patient tells the nurse that he has noticed pain in his left ear when people speak loudly to him.The nurse knows that this finding:

The nurse is performing a middle ear assessment on a 15-year-old patient who has a history of chronic ear infections.When examining the right tympanic membrane,the nurse sees the presence of dense white patches.The tympanic membrane is otherwise unremarkable.It is pearly,with the light reflex at 5 o'clock and landmarks visible.The nurse should:

The nurse suspects that a patient has otitis media.Early signs of otitis media include which of the following findings of the tympanic membrane?

During an interview,the patient states he has the sensation that "everything around him is spinning." The nurse recognizes that the portion of the ear responsible for this sensation is:

A patient with a middle ear infection asks the nurse,"What does the middle ear do?" The nurse responds by telling the patient that the middle ear functions to:

Which of the following is a risk factor for ear infections in young children?

While discussing the history of a 6-month-old infant,the mother tells the nurse that she took a great deal of aspirin while she was pregnant.What question would the nurse want to include in the history?

Which of the following statements concerning the eustachian tube is true?

The nurse is performing an otoscopic examination on an adult.Which of the following is true?