PAT: PATIENT ASSESSMENT TUTORIAL MODULE -
12 HEAD AND NECK EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS |RATED A+
The two most important clinical procedures that a clinician will ever master - CORRECT ANSWER
-Head and Neck
Oral examinations
Four Subgroups - CORRECT ANSWER -*Overall appraisal of the head, neck, face, ears, and skin
*Lymph nodes of the head and neck
*Salivary and thyroid glands
*Temporomandibular joint
Reasons for the extraoral Exam - CORRECT ANSWER --gather information about the health of
the patient
-recognize early indicators of disease
-detect abnormalities
-Recognize life-threatening malignancies at an early sgtate
Ex.: Looking at someone behind ears cause they cant look behind their own ears.
What is the Most Effective technique of an Extraoral Examination: - CORRECT ANSWER --
Consistency - use a sequence during the examination. Therefore nothing is skipped or forgotten
-Palpation technique - use correct methods
-Documentation - gather baseline information for future reference. Always document findings
whether normal or abnormal
*So that you DONT SKIP ANYTHING*
Extraoral Types of Palpations: - CORRECT ANSWER -Digital - single finger of one hand or both
, Bi-digital - finger and thumb of same hand
Bi-manual - use of finger or fingers and thumb from ea. hand simultaneously
Bilateral - two hands used at the same time to examine opposite sides of the body
Extraoral Findings by Palpation: - CORRECT ANSWER -Surface: smooth/rough
Shape: irregular/round/oval
Consistency: is one finding the same as its symmetrical opposite side
Mobility: does it move when touched
Tenderness: Does the patient feel pain when touched
Areas to Examine: - CORRECT ANSWER -Overall appraisal of the head, neck, face and skin
Lymph nodes of the head and neck
Salivary and thyroid glands
The TemporoMandibular Joint
Examining the Head Neck and Face: - CORRECT ANSWER -Occipital lymph nodes - tilt head
forward start from bottom of neck going up the neck in circular motion w/both hands until you
reach about an inch - 2 inches above the hair line.
Auricular Lymph nodes- Pre and Post (circular motion, both hands)
Cervical Nodes: Anterior/posterior - chains along the sternomastoid muscle. These lie above,
beneath and posterior to this muscle (use fingertips/thumb with gentle compression) from ear
to clavicle.
Submandibular lymph nodes: patient tilts head back, under jaw
Submental Lymph nodes: patient bites together, tongue touching roof of mouth (circular motion
with both hands)
Salivary glands: Parotid - circular compression against the cheekbones (difficult to detect unless
enlarged)
12 HEAD AND NECK EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS |RATED A+
The two most important clinical procedures that a clinician will ever master - CORRECT ANSWER
-Head and Neck
Oral examinations
Four Subgroups - CORRECT ANSWER -*Overall appraisal of the head, neck, face, ears, and skin
*Lymph nodes of the head and neck
*Salivary and thyroid glands
*Temporomandibular joint
Reasons for the extraoral Exam - CORRECT ANSWER --gather information about the health of
the patient
-recognize early indicators of disease
-detect abnormalities
-Recognize life-threatening malignancies at an early sgtate
Ex.: Looking at someone behind ears cause they cant look behind their own ears.
What is the Most Effective technique of an Extraoral Examination: - CORRECT ANSWER --
Consistency - use a sequence during the examination. Therefore nothing is skipped or forgotten
-Palpation technique - use correct methods
-Documentation - gather baseline information for future reference. Always document findings
whether normal or abnormal
*So that you DONT SKIP ANYTHING*
Extraoral Types of Palpations: - CORRECT ANSWER -Digital - single finger of one hand or both
, Bi-digital - finger and thumb of same hand
Bi-manual - use of finger or fingers and thumb from ea. hand simultaneously
Bilateral - two hands used at the same time to examine opposite sides of the body
Extraoral Findings by Palpation: - CORRECT ANSWER -Surface: smooth/rough
Shape: irregular/round/oval
Consistency: is one finding the same as its symmetrical opposite side
Mobility: does it move when touched
Tenderness: Does the patient feel pain when touched
Areas to Examine: - CORRECT ANSWER -Overall appraisal of the head, neck, face and skin
Lymph nodes of the head and neck
Salivary and thyroid glands
The TemporoMandibular Joint
Examining the Head Neck and Face: - CORRECT ANSWER -Occipital lymph nodes - tilt head
forward start from bottom of neck going up the neck in circular motion w/both hands until you
reach about an inch - 2 inches above the hair line.
Auricular Lymph nodes- Pre and Post (circular motion, both hands)
Cervical Nodes: Anterior/posterior - chains along the sternomastoid muscle. These lie above,
beneath and posterior to this muscle (use fingertips/thumb with gentle compression) from ear
to clavicle.
Submandibular lymph nodes: patient tilts head back, under jaw
Submental Lymph nodes: patient bites together, tongue touching roof of mouth (circular motion
with both hands)
Salivary glands: Parotid - circular compression against the cheekbones (difficult to detect unless
enlarged)
