Deck 13: Care of the Patient With a Visual or Auditory Disorder

Question 1

A patient, age 76, is partially blind. His physician has diagnosed open-angle glaucoma. The goal of treatment in glaucoma is to

A) decrease aqueous humor.
B) increase aqueous humor.
C) decrease discomfort.
D) restore vision.

Answer 1

decrease aqueous humor.

Question 2

Most patients with Ménière's disease are treated with

A) surgery.
B) diuretics.
C) hearing aids.
D) analgesics.

Answer 2

diuretics.

Question 3

Myopia is a medical term meaning which visual disorder?

A) Farsightedness
B) Blurred vision
C) Nearsightedness
D) Halos around lights

Answer 3

Nearsightedness

Question 4

Sjögren's syndrome is associated with which eye disorder?

A) Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
B) Conjunctivitis
C) Blepharitis
D) Opaque lens disorder

Question 5

A patient is scheduled for a stapedectomy. Appropriate postoperative teaching should include:

A) Hourly changing cotton from external ear canal
B) Gently blowing both nares simultaneously
C) Teaching patient to open mouth when sneezing or coughing
D) Limiting activities for 3 weeks

Question 6

The patient tells the nurse that he is legally blind. This information provides the nurse with which information to use in planning care?

A) No vision enhancement techniques would be appropriate for this patient, because he is totally blind.
B) This patient probably has some light perception, but no usable vision.
C) This patient has some usable vision, which enables him to function at an acceptable level.
D) Further questioning is needed to determine how this patient's visual impairment affects his normal functioning.

Question 7

A 32-year-old construction worker has suffered a penetrating wound to his right eye. The best intervention for anyone to perform at the scene while waiting to be transported to the hospital is to

A) gently remove the object.
B) wipe away the blood and tears.
C) cover both eyes with a paper cup and tape.
D) do nothing; rush to the hospital.

Question 8

A patient has an infectious/inflammatory process of the eyelid. The primary goal of nursing intervention is

A) administering antibiotics.
B) flushing the eye with sterile ophthalmic solution.
C) maintaining bed rest.
D) preventing further infection.

Question 9

A male patient brings home a note from the occupational nurse that states, "You have acute bacterial conjunctivitis." This condition is more commonly called

A) infection.
B) tearing.
C) pink eye.
D) color blindness.

Question 10

A patient is prescribed eyedrops that constrict the pupil, permitting aqueous humor to flow. The nurse would reinforce the teaching by referring to the drops as

A) mydriatics.
B) miotics.
C) osmotics.
D) inhibitors.

Question 11

A hearing-impaired patient is having problems communicating with staff members. Which behaviors would continue to hinder communication?

A) Overaccentuating words
B) Facing the patient when speaking
C) Speaking in conversational tones
D) Speaking into the affected ear

Question 12

A patient is cleaning the garage and splashes a chemical in his eyes. The initial priority after the chemical burn is to

A) transport to a physician immediately.
B) cover the eyes with a sterile gauze.
C) irrigate with H2O for 15 minutes or longer.
D) irrigate with normal saline solution for 1 to 5 minutes.

Question 13

The patient, age 71, has severe vertigo. A nursing action to help him reduce the symptoms is:

A) Avoid sudden movements until the vertigo lessens.
B) Avoid noises until the vertigo lessens.
C) Encourage fluid intake.
D) Lie immobile and hold the head in one position until the vertigo lessens.

Question 14

The priority nursing responsibility while caring for a patient with vertigo is

A) safety.
B) comfort.
C) hygiene.
D) quiet.

Question 15

The patient, age 42, notices that she is having difficulty reading typed print. The nurse would explain that the decreased ability to accommodate for near vision is called

A) senility.
B) presbyopia.
C) myopia.
D) refraction.

Question 16

Astigmatism is a medical term meaning which visual disorder?

A) Blurred vision
B) Inability to detect colors
C) Color blindness
D) Farsightedness

Question 17

A patient visits the physician for a routine physical examination that involves testing distance vision. As she faces the Snellen chart, the nurse is to instruct the patient to

A) use both eyes to read the chart.
B) read the chart from right to left.
C) cover one eye while testing the other.
D) use any one eye since they will be the same.

Question 18

A patient has been blind for the past 10 years. He is hospitalized with congestive heart failure (CHF). In the care of a long-term blind individual, it is important to

A) speak loudly to get the patient's attention.
B) schedule a consultation with an occupational therapist to teach activities of daily living.
C) announce when you enter and leave the room.
D) initiate a referral to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Question 19

Rapid onset of decreased vision, halos around lights, and severe eye pain are indications of

A) closed-angle glaucoma.
B) open-angle glaucoma.
C) retinal detachment.
D) diabetic retinopathy.

Question 20

A patient has a family history of cataracts. He asks what symptom would be present if he begins to develop them. The nurse might respond that the first symptom of a cataract is usually

A) pain in the eyes.
B) blurring of vision.
C) loss of peripheral vision.
D) dry eyes.

Question 21

When the eye adjusts to seeing objects at various distances, it is called

A) PERRLA.
B) refraction.
C) focusing.
D) accommodation.

Question 22

What factors must the nurse consider when assessing readiness to learn when teaching health promotion practices for the visually and hearing impaired? (Select all that apply.)

A) Cultural beliefs
B) Values
C) Habits
D) Income
E) Occupation

Question 23

Decreasing visual acuity is a sign of _________ __________.

Question 24

During a nursing history related to a patient's activity-exercise functional health pattern, the patient comments that he cannot bend over and lift an object without becoming dizzy and that he frequently has to stop physical activities because of dizziness and nausea. Which structure of this patient's ear is most likely to have a dysfunction causing his symptoms?

A) Middle ear
B) Organ of Corti
C) Semicircular canals
D) Cochlea

Question 25

The best prevention of serious complications of ear disorders like infections, mastoiditis and brain abscesses is:

A) Strong antibiotics and isolation
B) Early detection and treatment
C) Surgery and rehabilitation
D) Bed rest and early speech reading techniques

Question 26

The nurse answers the call light of a newly admitted patient. The patient tells the nurse she is blind and asks the nurse to assist her to the bathroom. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

A) Take the patient by the arm and lead her slowly to the bathroom.
B) Walk slightly ahead of the patient and allow the patient to hold the nurse's elbow.
C) Give the patient exact descriptive directions to the bathroom so that she can walk there independently.
D) Lead the patient to the bathroom by the hand, describing the location and providing verbal clues.

Question 27

Otitis media is more frequently seen in children 6 to 36 months because

A) eustachian tubes in children are shorter and straighter.
B) infection descends via the eustachian tube to the throat.
C) children's eustachian tubes are more vertical and longer.
D) otitis media is seen equally in both children and adults.

Question 28

Schiötz tonometry is a diagnostic test for __________.

Question 29

The patient, age 42, has chronic otitis media. Otoscopic examination reveals a central perforation of the eardrum with purulent drainage into the ear canal. A CT scan confirms the presence of a cholesteatoma in the middle ear, and he is scheduled for a tympanoplasty. Which postoperative activity does the nurse teach him about preoperatively?

A) Elevation of head of bed with operative side facing upward
B) Enforce bed rest for 72 hours
C) Frequent turning, coughing, and deep breathing
D) Continuous irrigation of the ear canal with antibiotic solutions

Question 30

Select all the conditions that may cause conductive hearing loss.

A) Buildup of cerumen
B) Foreign bodies
C) Otosclerosis of external auditory canal
D) Trauma
E) Exposure to ototoxic drugs
F) Otitis media with effusion

Question 31

The patient, age 62, has had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus for 20 years and has symptoms of proliferate diabetic retinopathy. He is scheduled for his first panretinal photocoagulation treatment. The nurse explains to him that the purpose of this procedure is to

A) destroy the retina, which is not getting enough blood supply.
B) reduce edema in the macula of the eye.
C) vaporize fatty deposits that appear in the retina.
D) destroy new blood vessels, seal leaking vessels, and help prevent retinal edema.

Question 32

The aging process can be a factor in the patient's smell and taste. Which may contribute to altered nutrition for the elderly?

A) Increase in the receptors in the nasal cavities
B) Increase in papillae of the tongue
C) Medications
D) Myopia

Question 33

A patient, age 23, has been diagnosed with external otitis on return from vacation at the beach. The physician places an ear wick in the external ear canal and prescribes antibiotic otic drops. Before the patient leaves the clinic, the nurse reviews the management of the disorder with her. Which statement by her indicates the need for further instruction?

A) "I may use aspirin for the pain."
B) "I should remove the wick tomorrow."
C) "I should apply the ear drops to the cotton wick placed in my ear canal."
D) "I may use warm compresses to the outside of my ear for comfort."

Question 34

What are the major senses? (Select all that apply.)

A) Taste
B) Touch
C) Smell
D) Sight
E) Hearing/Balance
F) None of the above

Question 35

Which may contribute to otitis media? (Select all that apply.)

A) Exposure to cigarette smoke
B) Allergies
C) Upper respiratory infections
D) Lower respiratory infections
E) Trauma
F) Prolonged exposure to loud noise

Question 36

The most common cause of congenital hearing loss from birth or early infancy is:

A) Anoxia or trauma
B) Tumor
C) Infection
D) Occasional loud noise

Question 37

During examination of his external ear, the patient tells the nurse that his ear is very painful when touched. The nurse recognizes that this finding is commonly associated with

A) a ruptured tympanic membrane.
B) a blocked eustachian tube.
C) infection of the mastoid bone.
D) inflammation of the ear canal.

Question 38

_____________ is a medical term for blurred vision.