The nurse is performing a middle ear assessment on a 15-year-old patient who has had a history of chronic ear infections. When examining the right tympanic membrane, the nurse sees the presence of dense white patches. The tympanic membrane is otherwise unremarkable. It is pearly, with the light reflex at 5 o'clock and landmarks visible. What should the nurse do?

A) Refer the patient for the possibility of a fungal infection.
B) Recognize that these are scars caused from frequent ear infections.
C) Consider that these findings may represent the presence of blood in the middle ear.
D) Be concerned about the ability to hear because of this abnormality on the tympanic membrane.

Question

Rahul Tiwary · Accepted Answer

Final Answer : B, Explanation :  Dense white patches on the tympanic membrane are sequelae of repeated ear infections. They do not necessarily affect hearing. A fungal infection manifests as a colony of black or white dots on the eardrum or canal walls (not dense white patch). Blood behind the tympanic membrane would cause the tympanic membrane to appear blue or dark red.

Definitions

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Related questions