Chapter 18. Ear, Nose, and Throat
1. The nurse needs to pull the portion of the ear that consists of movable cartilage and skin
down and back when administering eardrops. This portion of the ear is called the:
a. Auricle.
b. Concha.
c. Outer meatus.
d. Mastoid process.
ANS: A
The external ear is called the auricle or pinna and consists of movable cartilage and skin.
2. The nurse is examining a patients ears and notices cerumen in the external canal. Which
of these statements about cerumen is correct?
a. Sticky honey-colored cerumen is a sign of infection.
b. The presence of cerumen is indicative of poor hygiene.
c. The purpose of cerumen is to protect and lubricate the ear.
d. Cerumen is necessary for transmitting sound through the auditory canal.
ANS: C
The ear is lined with glands that secrete cerumen, which is a yellow waxy material that
lubricates and protects the ear.
3. When examining the ear with an otoscope, the nurse notes that the tympanic membrane
should appear:
a. Light pink with a slight bulge.
b. Pearly gray and slightly concave.
c. Pulled in at the base of the cone of light.
d. Whitish with a small fleck of light in the superior portion.
ANS: B
The tympanic membrane is a translucent membrane with a pearly gray color and a prominent
cone of light in the anteroinferior quadrant, which is the reflection of the otoscope light. The
, tympanic membrane is oval and slightly concave, pulled in at its center by the malleus, which
is one of the middle ear ossicles.
4. The nurse is reviewing the structures of the ear. Which of these statements concerning
the eustachian tube is true?
1. The nurse needs to pull the portion of the ear that consists of movable cartilage and skin
down and back when administering eardrops. This portion of the ear is called the:
a. Auricle.
b. Concha.
c. Outer meatus.
d. Mastoid process.
ANS: A
The external ear is called the auricle or pinna and consists of movable cartilage and skin.
2. The nurse is examining a patients ears and notices cerumen in the external canal. Which
of these statements about cerumen is correct?
a. Sticky honey-colored cerumen is a sign of infection.
b. The presence of cerumen is indicative of poor hygiene.
c. The purpose of cerumen is to protect and lubricate the ear.
d. Cerumen is necessary for transmitting sound through the auditory canal.
ANS: C
The ear is lined with glands that secrete cerumen, which is a yellow waxy material that
lubricates and protects the ear.
3. When examining the ear with an otoscope, the nurse notes that the tympanic membrane
should appear:
a. Light pink with a slight bulge.
b. Pearly gray and slightly concave.
c. Pulled in at the base of the cone of light.
d. Whitish with a small fleck of light in the superior portion.
ANS: B
The tympanic membrane is a translucent membrane with a pearly gray color and a prominent
cone of light in the anteroinferior quadrant, which is the reflection of the otoscope light. The
, tympanic membrane is oval and slightly concave, pulled in at its center by the malleus, which
is one of the middle ear ossicles.
4. The nurse is reviewing the structures of the ear. Which of these statements concerning
the eustachian tube is true?
