Question

While performing an otoscopic examination in a two-week-old newborn, the nurse finds that the newborn has hypomobile tympanic membrane. What does the nurse suspect from this finding?

The newborn has a keloid.

The newborn has a furuncle.

The newborn has cholesteatoma.

The newborn has serous otitis media.

Answer 1

A hypomobile tympanic membrane in a newborn likely suggests serous otitis media, a condition where fluid accumulates in the middle ear, restricting movement of the eardrum.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse observes a hypomobile tympanic membrane during an otoscopic examination of a two-week-old newborn, the nurse may suspect a condition called serous otitis media.

Serous otitis media, also known as otitis media with effusion (OME), involves the accumulation of fluid in the middle ear without signs of acute infection. This fluid can restrict the movement of the tympanic membrane, making it appear hypomobile upon examination. In contrast, conditions such as a keloid, furuncle, or cholesteatoma, which are more related to skin and tissue growths or infections, would not typically cause hypomobility of the tympanic membrane. Serous otitis media is especially common in young children due to factors such as more frequent upper respiratory infections, shorter and more horizontally oriented eustachian tubes, and behaviors such as bottle feeding while lying down which can promote fluid accumulation in the middle ear.