Heent Assessment: Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat

Front 1

Cranial Bones

Back 1

- Frontal bone
- Parietal bone
- Occipital bone
- Temporal bone

Front 2

Facial Bones

Back 2

- Sphenoid bone
- Nasal bone (Nose bridge)
- Zygomatic bone (Cheek bones)
- Maxilla (Between the upper lip/nose)
- Mandible (Jaw)
- Mastoid Process (Right behind the ear)

Front 3

Facial Muscles

Back 3

- Orbicularis Oculi (Around the eyes)
- Orbicularis Oris (Between upper lip/nose)
- Zygomaticus (By zygomatic)
- Masseter (By mastoid process)
- Buccinator (Between mouth/mastoid process)
- Sternocleidomastoid (Coming down from behind the ear to suprasternal notch)
- Trapezius

Front 4

Sutures

Back 4

Meshed immoveable joints where adjacent cranial bones unite

Front 5

Coronal Suture

Back 5

Suture crowns the head from ear to ear at the union of the frontal and parietal bones

Front 6

Sagittal Suture

Back 6

Suture that separates the head lengthwise b/w the 2 parietal bones

Front 7

Lambdoid Suture

Back 7

Suture that separates parietal bones crosswise from occipital bone

Front 8

Parotid glands

Back 8

Largest salivary glands that are located in the cheeks over the mandible (not normally palpable)
- Anterior to/below the ear

Front 9

Submandibular glands

Back 9

Salivary glands are beneath the mandible at the angle of the jaw

Front 10

Sublingual glands

Back 10

Salivary glands that lie in the floor of the mouth

Front 11

Neck is divided into 2 triangles by the Sternomastoid muscle:

Back 11

1. Anterior triangle: Lies in front, between the sternomastoid and the midline of the body
- Base of triangle = Up along lower border of mandible
- Apex of triangle = down at the suprasternal notch

2. Posterior Triangle: Lies behind the sternomastoid with the trapezius muscle on the other side
- Base of triangle = Along clavicle below
- Apex of triangle = Towards the ear

Front 12

Lymph Glands

Back 12

Glands that drain lymph fluid from the tissue, filter it and engulf pathogens before it enters into the circulation

Front 13

Lymph Nodes (Names correspond with adjacent structures)

Back 13

- Pre-auricular (In front of ear)
- Posterior auricular (Superior to mastoid process, right behind ear)
- Occipital (at base of the skull)
- Submental (Midline - behind tip of the mandible)
- Submandibular (Halfway between angle and the tip of the mandible)
- Tonsillar (Under angle of the mandible)
- Superficial cervical (Overlying sternomastoid muscle)
- Deep cervical (Deep under sternomastoid muscle)
- Posterior Cervical (In posterior triangle along edge of trapezius muscle)
- Supraclavicular (Just above and behind clavicle, at sternomastoid muscle)

Front 14

Thyroid Gland

Back 14

- Highly vascular endocrine gland
- Straddles the trachea in the middle of the neck (2 lobes that each curve posteriorly curve between trachea/sternomastoid)
- Stimulated by pituitary gland (TSH)
- Synthesizes and secretes hormones that stimulate the rate of cellular metabolism (T4 & T3)

Front 15

Isthmus of Thyroid

Back 15

Where the 2 lobes of the thyroid gland connect in the middle over the 2nd or 3rd tracheal rings

Front 16

Cricoid Cartilage or Upper Tracheal Ring

Back 16

Located just above the Isthmus

Front 17

Thyroid Cartilage

Back 17

- Located above the cricoid cartilage
- Has a small palpable notch in its upper edge ("Adam's Apple" in males)

Front 18

Hyoid Bone

Back 18

- Highest part of the throat
- Palpable high in the neck at the level of the floor of the mouth

Front 19

Hyperthyroidism

Back 19

When the thyroid gland becomes over active and secretes excess amounts of thyroid hormone

Front 20

Subjective Data: Health History

Back 20

1. Headaches/Migraines:
- Onset, Gradual, over hours or days?, Location, Character, etc

2. Head Injury: PQRSTU or OLDCARTS

3. Dizziness:
- What exactly does person mean by dizziness?
- Onset, associated factors?
- Vertigo? (Objective - Room is spinning, Subjective - Person is spinning)

4. Neck pain or limitation of movement:
- Onset? location? associated symptoms? stress? coping methods? Limited ROM?

5. Lumps or Swelling:
- Infections? Tenderness? Dysphagia? Smoke? Drink alcohol? Thyroid issues?

6. History of head/neck surgery:
- Why? When? How does person feel about results?

Front 21

Examination: Head, Face & Neck

Back 21

- Inspect if person is awake, alert, oriented with memory intact (able to recall adequate info)