Question

What are the components and purposes of a head and neck assessment and what are the normal physical findings in an infant/child vs in an adult.

Answer 1

This assessment is a part of the nursing head to toe assessment ,during the head and neck assessment we are assessing the following structures Head includes face ,hair,eyes,nose,mouth ears,temporal artery ,sinuses,temporomandibular joint,crainal nerves.There are plethora of resons for examining the neck .checking the lymph nodes and throid.

Components of head and neck assessments are

• Inspect for any obvious deformities,asymmetry,massess,tracheal deviation
• Palpation of the lymph nodes of the head and neck
• Palpation of the parotid gland
• Assessment of range of motion of the cervical spine
• assessment of spinal accessary nerve function
• Evaluate jugular venous distension.

Head - inspect the oveall appearances of the face,

Is head an appropriate size for teh body or not, Is the face symmetrical,drooping of the eyes or lips,are the facial expressions symmetrical

Any lesions

Test crainial nerves -Facial nerve have the patient close their eyes tightly ,smile ,frown ,puff out cheek.

Palpate temporal artery bileterally

Test crainial nerve ,trigeminal nerve -The nerve is responsible for many functions .

Eyes -look for swelling, eyelids

Sclera -white or shiny,not yellow as in jaundice

Look for strabismus- do the eye line up with another

Aniscoria-Are the pupils equal in size or one pupil larger than other

Watch for nystagmus,reaction to light.

If all findings are normal we can document PERRLA

EARS

Drainage or abnormalities

tenderness

palpate pinna and targus

palpate mastoid process for swelling or tenderness

Test cranial nerve 8 -Test the hearing by occluding one ear and whispering two words and have the patient repeat them back.Inspect tympanic membrane.

NOSE

Inspect for symmetrry,drainage,for lesions inside the nose,test for olfactory nerve function.

MOUTH

colour of mucous membranes and gums ,teeth should be white free from cavities.

Tongue-for lesions and colour.