SAS 8

• The students will study and read Chapter 10 of their book about this lesson: Anatomy and Physiology.
• After the students have completed the task, the instructor will call 3-5 students to share and read out loud the things they have learned from the session.
• AL Strategy: Wrapping Up-Student Reflection 1
• The instructor will instruct students to write 3 important things they learned from today’s session.
• Common or concerning symptoms of the head include headache, head injury, head or neck surgery, and traumatic brain injury.
• Migraine headaches are the most frequent cause of headaches seen in office practice, approaching 80% with careful diagnosis.
• Every headache warrants careful evaluation for life-threatening causes such as meningitis, subdural or intracranial hemorrhage, or tumor.
• The OLDCART or PQRST methods can be used in order to obtain the health history of the patient’s headache.
• History Interview (OLDCART) includes Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristic Symptoms, Relieving Factors, and Treatment.
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a blow to the head or a piercing head injury that interferes with the function of the brain.
• Not all injuries to the head result in a TBI, and those that do occur span from mild to severe.
• The functions of the head and neck include the following: the head protects the brain, the eyes, and the ears; the neck supports the head; the head and neck provide sensory input; and the head and neck control the body’s movements.
• The physical examination techniques to evaluate the head and neck include inspection, palpation, and auscultation.
• Measures to prevent traumatic brain injury include using seatbelts, helmets, and safety equipment.
• The neck should be inspected for the thyroid gland using tangential lighting directed downward from the tip of the patient’s chin.
• When palpating for the lymph nodes on the neck of a patient, the nurse must use thumb and index fingers.
• The characteristic face of a patient who has hypothyroidism is a mask-like face.
• The nurse assessing the neck of the patient has observed for an enlargement of the thyroid gland and must suspect for hyperparathyroidism, Cushing syndrome, or Addison’s disease.
• The trachea and the thyroid gland can be inspected for any deviation from their usual midline position and felt for any deviation.
• Primary headaches can have an identifiable underlying cause, such as stroke, meningitis, or no identifiable underlying cause.
• The very last lymph node that the nurse must palpate when assessing for the lymph nodes of the head is the occipital lymph nodes.
• The deep cervical chain is located deep to the sternomastoid and is often inaccessible to examination.
• In order to decrease the likelihood of falls, the nurse must teach the following precautions: install safety features in the home such as grab bars in the bathroom and nonslip mats in the bathtub, wear nonslip, well-fitting shoes, allow babies to use walkers, and install window guards.
• The spaces between the trachea and the sternomastoid should be symmetric.
• The characteristic face of a patient who has Cushing syndrome is a moon face.
• The lower shadowed border of each thyroid gland should be outlined by arrows.
• Exophthalmos is not seen in a patient who has hyperthyroidism.
• Cluster headache has an aura and is accompanied by seizures.
• The supraclavicular area is located in the angle formed by the clavicle and the sternomastoid.
• Small children should sit in the back seat especially if the car has a passenger airbag to decrease the likelihood of motor vehicular head injuries.
• Treatment: Have you been to a health care provider?
• Relieving Factors/Strategies: Prevention of further injury
• Lack of protective equipment or helmet? Environmental?
• The Skull: Observe the general size and contour of the skull, noting any deformities, depressions, lumps, or tenderness.
• The Scalp: Part the hair in several places and look for scaliness, lumps, nevi, or other lesions.
• Relieving Factors: Does anything make the lump smaller? Less tender? Have you tried compresses on the site?
• The Neck: Observe the skin, noting its color, pigmentation, texture, thickness, hair distribution, and any lesions.
• Inspect the neck, noting its symmetry and any masses or scars, and look for enlargement of the parotid or submandibular glands.
• Associated Manifestations: Do you have difficulty swallowing? Have you had any recent infections? Trauma? Radiation? Surgery? History of smoking? Drinking alcohol? Chewing tobacco?
• Common or concerning symptoms of the neck include swollen lymph nodes or neck lumps, enlarged thyroid gland, and hoarseness.