Anatomy & Physiology
I line the posterior two-thirds of the eyeball and contain the photoreceptors (rods and cones). What part of the eye am I?
Retina
What is the purpose of a x-ray of the eye?
It shows bone structure, tumors
What eye disease is the patient advised to use the Amsler grid?
Macular degeneration
What does a mydriatic eye drop do?
Dilates the pupil
Pearl: This will decrease intraocular pressure
What is conductive hearing loss? (In addition give one example)
Sound waves can't pass through the outer ear, tympanic membrane or middle ear.
E. G. Cerumen impaction, ruptured ear drum, foreign objects
Describe the physiology of vision
A light ray focuses on the retina and then is transmitted to areas of the cerebral cortex via the optic nerve
What does tonometry measure?
Intraocular pressure
Patients with glaucoma will describe loss of vision in which visual field
Peripheral
Give an example of a miotic eye drop
Pilocarpine (Pilocar)
Physostigmine ( Isopto Eserine)
What is sensorineural hearing loss? (Give one example)
Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or nerve from the ear to brain.
E.G. Drug side effects, auditory tumors, blast/explosion, aging, noise damage
List three common findings in the age as we age
Decreased color vision, glare adapation is difficult, peripheral vision decreases, depth perception decreases, farsightedness, lens decreases in elasticity, lens becomes opaque
What is fluorescein angiography?
Angiography with a dye is a test using special cameras to find leaking or damaged blood vessels in the retina or deeper.
Pearls: Ask about dye allergies, used for diabetic retinopathy, irrigate stain from eye
Name three symptoms that occur with retinal detachment
Sudden change in vision
Flashing lights, floaters
" Looking through cob webs or a veil"
Curtain being lowered
Painless
What are the nursing implications when given a beta adrenergic eye drop?
E.G. Timolol, Betaxolol
Monitor for bradycardia, heart block, or wheezing
External otitis is also known as what?
Swimmers ear
Pearl: it occurs more in the summer months due to kids swimming and water getting trapped in the ear
List two common findings in the ear as we age
Difficult to filter background noise
High pitch range lost (F, S, K, Sh sounds first lost)
What is the Rinne test?
A tuning fork is used to differentiate between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.
Normal is air conduction is greater than bone conduction
What form of glaucoma is a medical emergency?
Acute angle glaucoma
Opening intraocular pressure can be 50
What does the mneumoic CALM EAR stand for
Cisplatin, Aminoglycosides, Loop diuretics, Malaria drugs, Erythromycin, Aspirin, Red man syndrome (vancomycin)
What is otosclerosis?
Hardening of the ear, results from formation of new bone along the stapes.
Pearl: Begins in adolescence or early adulthood and progresses slowly. More common in women than men. Often there is a family history
What is accommodation?
Patient looks at an object far away then pupils are observed as the patient focuses on a nearby object. The patient's eyes turn inwards and the pupils constrict
What is caloric testing used for?
Tests the function of the 8th cranial nerve and vestibular reflexes of the inner ear that control balance
List at least two postoperative care instructions for a patient after cataract surgery
No heavy lifting ( <10 lbs)
No swimming
Avoid bending. If you bend you must bend at the knees NOT the hips
Cyclopentolate (Cyclogyl) is a cycloplegic eye drop and its use is contraindicated in what eye disorder?
Glaucoma
It increases intraocular pressure
What is the triad of symptoms that occurs with Meniere disease?
Vertigo, sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus