Question 1

During the focused interview, the client admits to regularly abusing cocaine. Which clinical manifestations support the regular use of cocaine?

Accepted Answer

A)   The nurse notes that the nasal septum has perforated.
B)   Temporomandibular joint pain when the client opens and closes the mouth.
C)   The septum is noted to be very pale in color.
D)   Yeast infection of nasal mucosa and in mouth.
E)   Difficulty swallowing water. A,C

Question 2

The nurse is examining a toddler client. The toddler has a fever and the nurse notes the ear canal is red and swollen, and the presence of purulent drainage. Based on this assessment data, which diagnosis does the nurse anticipate?

Accepted Answer

A)   Otitis media.
B)   Otitis externa.
C)   Hemotympanum.
D)   Tophi. B

Question 3

The nurse is educating a group of adolescents about the risks of chewing tobacco. When describing the manifestation of oral cancer, which information will the nurse include?

Accepted Answer

A)   Bleeding and inflamed gums.
B)   Smooth and shiny tongue.
C)   Red, swollen tonsils.
D)   Ulcerations on the lip or under the tongue. D

Question 4

An older adult client says, "I can't seem to hear as well as I could when I was younger." Which diagnosis does the nurse anticipate for this client?

Accepted Answer

A)   Presbycusis.
B)   Mastoiditis.
C)   Otitis media.
D)   Otitis externa.

Question 5

Which structure attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth?

Accepted Answer

A)   Hard palate.
B)   Papillae.
C)   Frenulum.
D)   Alveoli sockets.

Question 6

The nurse educator is teaching a group of students about cultural differences to consider when conducting an ear, nose, and throat assessment. Which statement by a nursing student indicates appropriate understanding of the information presented?

Accepted Answer

A)   "Asians are more likely to experience greater difficulty with otitis media than people from other cultures."
B)   "Sometimes in Asians and Native Americans, their ear wax looks dry and dark."
C)   "Asians have a higher risk of having issues associated with cleft lips and cleft palates."
D)   "Asians have a high incidence of tooth decay."

Question 7

The nurse is conducting a hearing assessment on an older adult client with impacted cerumen noted in the right ear canal. When performing the Weber test, which would the nurse expect to learn?

Accepted Answer

A)   Air conduction is longer than bone conduction.
B)   Bone conduction is longer than air conduction.
C)   Sound lateralized to the right ear.
D)   The client is unable to maintain balance while standing.

Question 8

The nurse is examining a client's ears and notes that right ear is occluded with wax. Which actions by the nurse are appropriate to facilitate removal of the cerumen from the client's ear?

Accepted Answer

A)   Irrigating with warm mineral oil, peroxide, and flushing with warm water.
B)   Inserting a sharp instrument to break up the ear wax.
C)   Irrigating with a cold solution.
D)   Inserting a cerumen spoon to remove the wax.
E)   Irrigating with warm sudsy water.

Question 9

The nurse educates the client about the major functions of the nose and sinuses. Which structure is specifically responsible for filtering, moistening, and warming air that enters the lower portion of the respiratory tract?

Accepted Answer

A)   Olfactory cells.
B)   Columella.
C)   Turbinates.
D)   Nares.

Question 10

Which structure separates the vestibule from the mouth?

Accepted Answer

A)   A.
B)   B.
C)   C.
D)   D.

Question 11

The nurse educator is conducting an in-service for a group of community health nurses. Which is an objective for Healthy People 2020 that the nurse will include in the in-service?

Accepted Answer

A)   Increasing the use of health-care related use of the Internet.
B)   Increasing the use of antibiotics for viral infections.
C)   Increasing the age for the first dental assessment.
D)   Increasing the incident of dental caries.

Question 12

The nurse is performing a focused interview with the client and asks the client if there has been any drainage from the ears. The client responds, "Yes." Which statement by the health care provider indicates that the client may have developed acute otitis media?

Accepted Answer

A)   "The ear canal itself is really red, raw, and sore."
B)   "I noticed that the drainage looked clear, like water."
C)   "The drainage looks like what is draining from my nose, kind of clear and mucous-like."
D)   "It is kind of yellowish-reddish color."

Question 13

The nurse is assessing the oral cavity of a client and notes a blackish, furry-looking coating on the tongue. Which question to the client is most appropriate based on this initial data?

Accepted Answer

A)   "Have you eaten licorice lately?"
B)   "How often do you brush your tongue?"
C)   "Have you recently taken antibiotics?"
D)   "Have you ever had this happen before?"

Question 14

A client arrives in the emergency department with complaints of intermittent nosebleeds over the past two days. Which are priority assessments for the nurse to implement when providing care to this client?

Accepted Answer

A)   Request information from the client regarding increased propensity for bruising or bleeding.
B)   Assess the tonsils for redness or swelling.
C)   Obtain a blood pressure.
D)   Check for deviated septum.
E)   Request information from the client to determine if there was any recent thin, watery drainage from the nose.

Question 15

The client comes to the medical office complaining of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. After reviewing the client's medical record, the nurse determines that recently prescribed medication could be the cause for the assessment data. Which medications in the medical record could be responsible for the client's assessment data?

Accepted Answer

A)   Streptomycin.
B)   Steroid inhalers.
C)   Aspirin.
D)   Neomycin.
E)   Acetaminophen.

Question 16

The nurse is assessing several children in a pediatric clinic. Which child is experiencing a development delay?

Accepted Answer

A)   The 6-year-old child has lost two deciduous teeth.
B)   The 26-month-old child has one baby tooth.
C)   The 4-month-old infant is drooling.
D)   The 2-month-old infant's salivary glands are not producing saliva.

Question 17

The client is experiencing the effects of a recent cerebrovascular accident (CVA). The client is unable to smell. Which cranial nerve was most likely affected by the CVA?

Accepted Answer

A)   Cranial nerve I.
B)   Cranial nerve XII.
C)   Cranial nerve VIII.
D)   Cranial nerve VII.

Question 18

The nurse is explaining discussing the Rinne test to a group of student nurses. Which statement by the nurse is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

A)   "This test requires the use of an otoscope."
B)   "The test is performed by whispering statements a few feet away from the client."
C)   "The test is used to determine if a client hears sound in one ear better than the other."
D)   "This test compares air and bone conduction of sound using a tuning fork."

Question 19

The nurse is assessing the client's nasal mucosa and notes the presence of a thin, watery discharge. The client complains of sneezing and nasal congestion. Based on this data, which does the nurse suspect?

Accepted Answer

A)   Rhinitis.
B)   Perforated septum.
C)   Previous epistaxis.
D)   Nasal polyps.

Question 20

The nurse is performing a focused interview with a client who has been cleaning the ears with a cotton-tipped applicator. Which complications of this practice will the nurse include in the teaching session for this client?

Accepted Answer

A)   Increasing risk of developing otitis externa.
B)   Developing tophi along the outer rim of the ears.
C)   Perforating the tympanic membrane.
D)   Needing tympanostomy tubes.
E)   Impacting cerumen.

Exam 16: Ears, Nose, Mouth, and Throat