If your child gets ear infections often, you may wonder if you could save time and money by checking them for one at home. You might be able to, but you shouldn’t if there’s any pus or blood coming
from the ear, if the skin around the ear hole is swollen, or the bone behind the ear is red. If that’s the case, call your child’s doctor. If you do decide to check for an ear infection at home, be sure to talk
with the doctor first to make sure it’s OK and to get guidance on the best instrument to buy and how to use it. It’s an instrument doctors use to see inside the ear. You don't have to be a doctor to buy or use one, but it’s not as simple as just putting it into your child’s
ear and looking around. The otoscope comes with several pointed tips, called specula. Choose one that’s slightly smaller than the opening of your child's ear. If the ear hole is too small for the smallest tip, don’t try to check for an infection at home. Clean the speculum, unless you’re using disposable ones, and fit it to the viewing end
of the otoscope. Turn on the instrument's light. If your child is older than 12 months, pull the outer ear gently up and back. (If they're younger than 12 months, pull the outer ear gently straight back.) This will straighten the ear canal and make it easier to see inside. Hold the otoscope at the handle with your pinky finger outstretched. When the instrument is in the ear canal, your pinky should rest on your child's cheek. This will keep it from going too far inside their ear
canal and possibly hurting them. Next, slowly put the speculum into your child's ear while looking into the viewing end of the otoscope. The ear canal is sensitive, so don’t put pressure on the instrument or push it too far. Move the otoscope and the ear very gently until you can see the eardrum. Angle the viewing piece slightly toward your child's nose, so it follows the normal angle of the ear canal. Two
important things to keep in mind: Here are some things to look for: If you notice any of these, or aren’t sure, call your child’s doctor. Home otoscopes often don't have the picture quality of otoscopes used by professionals. NURSINGTB.COM Chapter16:Ears MULTIPLECHOICE 1.Thenurseneedstopulltheportionoftheearthatconsistsofmovablecartilageandskindownandback whenadministeringeardrops.Thisportionoftheeariscalledthe: a.Auricle. b.Concha. c.Outermeatus. d.Mastoidprocess. ANS:A Theexternaleariscalledtheauricleorpinnaandconsistsofmovablecartilageandskin. DIF:CognitiveLevel:Remembering(Knowledge) MSC:ClientNeeds:PhysiologicIntegrity:PhysiologicAdaptation 2.Thenurseisexaminingapatientsearsandnoticescerumenintheexternalcanal.Whichofthesestatements aboutcerumeniscorrect? a.Stickyhoney-coloredcerumenisasignofinfection. b.Thepresenceofcerumenisindicativeofpoorhygiene. c. Thepurposeofcerumenistoprotectandlubricatetheear. d.Cerumenisnecessaryfortransmittingsoundthroughtheauditorycanal. ANS:C Theearislinedwithglandsthatsecretecerumen,whichisayellowwaxymaterialthatlubricatesandprotects theear. DIF:CognitiveLevel:Remembering(Knowledge) MSC:ClientNeeds:PhysiologicIntegrity:PhysiologicAdaptation 3.Whenexaminingtheearwithanotoscope,thenursenotesthatthetympanicmembraneshouldappear: a.Lightpinkwithaslightbulge. b.Pearlygrayandslightlyconcave. c.Pulledinatthebaseoftheconeoflight. TestBank-PhysicalExaminationandHealthAssessment8e(byJarvis)211 NURSINGTB.COM PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND HEALTH ASSESSMENT 8TH EDITION JARVIS TEST BANK When using the otoscope to examine the ears of a 2 year old child the nurse should pull the pinna in which direction?For children younger than 3 years, gently pull the outer ear down and toward the back of the head. For children older than 3 years, gently pull the outer ear up and toward the back of the head.
When examining a 2 year old with otoscope the nurse should?ANS: Pull the pinna down. For an otoscopic examination, pull the pinna down on an infant and a child under 3 years of age.
When examining an 2 year old child's ear the nurse pulls the pinna of the ear and?the pinna must be pulled back and down. In older children and adults, the pinna is pulled up and back. The pinna is not held in its normal position, and the child is not positioned prone. The nurse is obtaining measurements on an apprehensive 18-month-old client at a well-child check.
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