Quiz 8: Medical Terminology from Chapters 14 and 15

When examining the face of a patient, what are the two pairs of salivary glands that are accessible for examination?

Parotid; submandibular

The physician reports that a patient with a neck tumor has a tracheal shift. The nurse should understand that what is occurring to the patient's trachea?

Pushed to the unaffected side

The nurse is explaining to a student nurse the four areas in the body where lymph nodes are accessible. Which areas would the nurse include in the explanation to the student?

Head and neck, arms, inguinal area, and axillae

The nurse suspects that a patient has hyperthyroidism, and the laboratory data indicate that the patient's T4 and T3 hormone levels are elevated. Which of these findings would the nurse most likely find on examination?

Tachycardia

A woman comes to the clinic and states, "I've been sick for so long! My eyes have gotten so puffy, and my eyebrows and hair have become coarse and dry." The nurse would assess for other signs and symptoms of what condition?

Myxedema

An 85-year-old patient, is reporting that the bones in their face have become more noticeable. What explanation should the nurse give the patient?

More noticeable facial bones are probably due to a combination of factors related to aging, such as decreased elasticity, subcutaneous fat, and moisture in her skin.

A patient visits the clinic because he has recently noticed that the left side of his mouth is paralyzed. He states that he cannot whistle but the nurse notes he can still raise his eyebrows. What does the nurse suspect?

A cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke

The nurse notices that a patient's palpebral fissures are not symmetric. On examination, the nurse may find that damage has occurred to which cranial nerve (CN)?

VII

The nurse has just completed a lymph node assessment on a 60-year-old healthy female patient. When palpating the nodes on this patient, how would the lymph nodes feel?

Nonpalpable

During an examination of a patient, the nurse notes lymphadenopathy and suspects an acute infection. How do acutely infected lymph nodes typically palpate?

Firm but freely movable

A patient comes to the clinic reporting neck and shoulder pain and is unable to turn her head. Which nerve does the nurse suspect is damaged and how would the nurse proceed with the examination?

XI; have patient shrug their shoulders against resistance.

During an examination of a patient in her third trimester of pregnancy, the nurse notices that the patient's thyroid gland is slightly enlarged. No enlargement had been previously noticed. What does the nurse suspect?

A normal enlargement of the thyroid gland during pregnancy

When examining a patient's CN function, what muscles would the nurse assess to assess the function of CN XI?

Sternomastoid and trapezius

A patient has come in for an examination and states, "I think that I have the mumps." What would the nurse examine first?

Parotid gland

During an examination, the nurse knows that the best way to palpate the lymph nodes in the neck is described by which statement?

Using gentle pressure, palpate with both hands to compare the two sides.

A patient's laboratory data reveal an elevated thyroxine (T4) level. What gland would the nurse assess?

Thyroid

During an examination, a patient states that she was diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma 2 years ago. The nurse assesses for characteristics of open-angle glaucoma. Which of these are characteristics of open-angle glaucoma? (Select all that apply.)

Virtually no symptoms are exhibited.

Vision loss begins with peripheral vision.

Patient experiences tunnel vision in the late stages.

The nurse is performing the diagnostic positions test. Which result is a normal finding?

Parallel movement of both eyes

A patient's vision is recorded as 20/30 when the Snellen eye chart is used. How would the nurse interpret these results?

The patient can read at 20 feet what a person with normal vision can read at 30 feet.

A patient comes to the emergency department after a boxing match, and his left eye is almost swollen shut. He has bruises on his face and neck. He says he is worried because he "can't see well" from his left eye. The physician suspects retinal detachment. What finding would support this suspicion?

Shadow or diminished vision in one quadrant or one half of the visual field

The nurse is conducting a visual examination. Which of these statements regarding visual pathways and visual fields is true?

The image formed on the retina is upside down and reversed from its actual appearance in the outside world.

The nurse is performing an external eye examination. Which statement regarding the outer layer of the eye is true?

The outer layer of the eye is very sensitive to touch.

A patient comes into the emergency department after an accident at work. A machine blew dust into his eyes, and he was not wearing safety glasses. The nurse examines his corneas by shining a light from the side across the cornea. What findings would suggest that he has suffered a corneal abrasion?

Shattered look to the light rays reflecting off the cornea

The nurse is testing a patient's visual accommodation. How is accommodation assessed?

Pupillary constriction when looking at a near object

The nurse is examining a patient's retina with an ophthalmoscope. Which finding is considered normal?

Optic disc that is a yellow-orange color

A patient is unable to read even the largest letters on the Snellen chart. The nurse would take which action next?

Shorten the distance between the patient and the chart until the letters are seen and record that distance

When performing the corneal light reflex assessment, the nurse notes that the light is reflected at 2 o'clock in each eye. What would the nurse do regarding this finding?

Record this as a normal finding.

The nurse notices the presence of periorbital edema when performing an eye assessment on a 70-year-old patient. What would the nurse do next?

Ask the patient if he or she has a history of heart failure.

When examining a patient's eyes, the nurse would be aware that stimulation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system causes what response?

Elevates the eyelid and dilates the pupil

The nurse is assessing a patient's eyes for the accommodation response and would expect to see which normal finding?

Convergence of the axes of the eyes

When examining the eye, the nurse notices that the patient's eyelid margins approximate completely when closed. What does the nurse understand about this assessment finding?

It is expected.

The nurse is reviewing the age-related changes in the eye. Which physiologic change is responsible for presbyopia?

Loss of lens elasticity

During an examination of the eye, the nurse would expect what normal finding when assessing the lacrimal apparatus?

Absence of drainage from the puncta when pressing against the inner orbital rim

During ocular examinations, what would the nurse keep in mind regarding the movement of the extraocular muscles?

Is stimulated by CNs III, IV, and VI.

A patient's vision is recorded as 20/80 in each eye. How does the nurse interpret this finding?

Patient has poor vision.

The nurse is performing an eye-screening clinic at a daycare center. When examining a 2-year-old child, the nurse suspects that the child has a "lazy eye". What would the nurse do next?

Test for strabismus by performing the corneal light reflex test.

When assessing the pupillary light reflex, the nurse would use which technique?

Shine a light across the pupil from the side and observe for direct and consensual pupillary constriction

A 60-year-old man is at the clinic for an eye examination. The nurse suspects that he has ptosis of one eye. How would the nurse check for this?

Observe the distance between the palpebral fissures.

The nurse is performing an eye assessment on an 80-year-old patient. Which of these findings is considered abnormal?

Unequal pupillary constriction in response to light

A 68-year-old woman is in the eye clinic for a checkup. She tells the nurse that she has been having trouble reading the paper, sewing, and even seeing the faces of her grandchildren. On examination, the nurse notes that she has some loss of central vision but her peripheral vision is normal. What do these findings suggest?

macular degeneration