NURS 232 Week 3: HEENOT Quiz

Sutures

Nonmovable joints connecting the cranial bones (frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital). They solidify by age 2

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ)

Lets you open and close the mouth and move the jaw forward, back, and side to side. Jaw clenching from stress can cause TMJ pain

Cervical vertebrae

Seven vertebrae. C1 (atlas) carries the skull, C2 (axis) allows head movement, and C7 has the largest spinous process.

Sternocleidomastoid and trapezius

The primary neck muscles. They form the anterior and posterior triangles and are innervated by CN XI (accessory).

Hyoid bone

Sits above the larynx and is a landmark for finding the trachea and thyroid.

Thyroid and cricoid cartilage

The thyroid cartilage is the largest laryngeal cartilage (the Adam's apple). The cricoid is a C-shaped ring, the first one anchored to the trachea.

Thyroid gland

A butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in the anterior neck, lying over the trachea.

Carotid artery and jugular veins

The carotid is palpated in the groove between the trachea and the sternocleidomastoid, below the angle of the jaw.

Lymph nodes

Produce lymphocytes and antibodies. They are normally nonpalpable and become palpable when infected or enlarged.

Temporal artery

Palpated and auscultated during the head assessment.

Goiter

Enlarged thyroid, often from iodine deficiency.

Migraine

Classic type lasts 4–72 hours untreated. Symptoms include nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. About 25% of patients have an aura. Triggers include tyramine-rich foods and nitrates.

Cluster headache

Episodes over days to months, then remission. It starts suddenly at night with severe one-sided pain behind one eye, with tearing and nasal congestion. There is no aura.

Tension headache

A muscle-contraction headache with gradual onset and steady, non-throbbing pain. It is linked to stress and posture.

Hyperthyroidism

Excess thyroid hormone. Findings include nervousness, heat intolerance, weight loss, tachycardia, exophthalmos, and diaphoresis.

Hypothyroidism

Low thyroid hormone and lowered basal metabolism. Findings include fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, constipation, and dry skin. It is most common in women aged 30–50

Sclera

The outermost layer, a dense white fibrous coat that protects and shapes the eye

Cornea

The clear "window" of the eye. It refracts light, drives the blink reflex, and is very sensitive to pain

Choroid

The middle vascular-pigmented layer

Iris and pupil

The iris controls how much light enters through the pupil. CN III constricts the pupil via the parasympathetic branch and dilates it via the sympathetic branch

Mydriasis / miosis

Mydriasis is pupil dilation in dim light. Miosis is constriction in bright light.

Retina

The innermost sensory layer. Rods handle dim light and peripheral vision. Cones handle bright light, central vision, and color.

Optic disc

Round, creamy-yellow spot on the nasal side of the retina where the optic nerve meets it. Its color varies with skin tone.

Macula / fovea centralis

Responsible for central vision.

Refraction

Light bending through the cornea, aqueous humor, lens, and vitreous humor. The lens accommodates by changing shape.

Myopia / hyperopia

In myopia (nearsightedness) light focuses in front of the retina. In hyperopia (farsightedness) it focuses behind it. Emmetropia is normal.

Presbyopia

Inability to accommodate for near vision, common after age 45.

Conjunctiva

A thin mucous membrane lining the eyelids and covering the anterior eye but not the cornea.

Lacrimal apparatus

The tear glands and ducts. Tears drain through the puncta into the nasal passage.

Extraocular muscles

Six muscles per eye, tested through the six cardinal fields of gaze (H method or wagon wheel). Innervated by CN III, IV, and VI.

Optic chiasm/visual pathway

Fibers cross at the chiasm, travel via the optic tracts, and end in the occipital lobe.

Cataract/glaucoma

A cataract is clouding of the lens. Glaucoma involves raised intraocular pressure and loss of peripheral vision.

Strabismus

Misaligned eyes (esotropia is inward, exotropia is outward). It is detected with the cover/uncover test.

Auricle

The external ear, made up of the helix (outer rim), tragus, and lobule

Cerumen / external auditory canal

The S-shaped canal is lined with glands that make protective wax. Cerumen type is linked to ethnicity.

Tympanic membrane

The eardrum, separating the external and middle ear. It is pearly gray and translucent, and vibrates with sound.

Ossicles

The malleus, incus, and stapes, which carry vibrations to the oval window of the inner ear.

Eustachian tube

Connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx and equalizes pressure.

Nose structures

Nares, columella, ala, septum, and three turbinates that filter, warm, and moisten air. Olfactory cells (CN I) provide smell.

Paranasal sinuses

Sphenoid, frontal, ethmoid, and maxillary. Air-filled cavities that process air and give the voice resonance.

Tongue and taste

Papillae hold the taste buds, served by CN VII and IX. The hypoglossal nerve drives speech and swallowing, and the frenulum anchors the tongue.

Salivary glands

Parotid (Stensen duct), submandibular (Wharton duct), and sublingual

Teeth

32 permanent teeth and 20 deciduous teeth. Children start losing deciduous teeth around age 6.

Uvula and palates

The hard palate is bony, and the soft palate is muscular. The uvula rises at midline when the patient says "aah," which tests cranial nerve function.

Pharynx and tonsils

The throat has three parts: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx. Tonsils are graded 1+ (normal, hidden) to 4+ (touching at midline).

Otoscope

Used to inspect the ear canal and eardrum. It can also be used for nasal inspection.

Rinne and Weber tests

Tuning-fork hearing tests. Normally air conduction is longer than bone conduction. The whisper test is a screening check.

Romberg test

Assesses balance, and healthy adults maintain it.

Transillumination

Shining a light through the frontal and maxillary sinuses. Healthy sinuses transilluminate.

Documentation standards

Records must be accurate, professional, complete, and confidential. Use measurements (metric where relevant), proper medical terminology, and no patient-identifying language. Make it clear which questions were asked and whether information is the patient's report or the nurse's findings.