A patient's thyroid gland is enlarged, and the nurse is preparing to auscultate the gland for the presence of a bruit. What technique should the nurse use to assess for a bruit?

Palpate the thyroid while the patient holds their breath

Palpate the thyroid while the patient is swallowing

Auscultate the thyroid with the bell of the stethoscope

Auscultate the thyroid with the diaphragm of the stethoscope

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is C

A.   Palpation of the thyroid helps assess its size, consistency, and tenderness but does not aid in detecting a bruit.
B.   Swallowing helps assess the mobility of the thyroid but does not aid in auscultating for a bruit.
C.   The bell of the stethoscope is used to detect low-pitched sounds, such as a bruit, which might be heard if there is increased blood flow through the thyroid gland, as seen in hyperthyroidism or Graves' disease.
D.   The diaphragm is used to detect high-pitched sounds, such as lung or heart sounds. The bell is better for detecting a bruit.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

A. A tender thyroid nodule is more likely to be benign and associated with inflammation or thyroiditis, not cancer.
B. This is more concerning for a malignant nodule, as cancerous nodules are often firm and immobile.
C. A thyroid nodule typically does not change or disappear with facial movements, which is more characteristic of a different type of mass, such as a lymph node.
D. These characteristics are more consistent with a benign nodule, which is often movable and less likely to be cancerous.

A. When adventitious sounds are present B. When the bronchial tree is obstructed C. In conjunction with whispered pectoriloquy D. In conditions of consolidation, such as pneumonia

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Adventitious sounds (e.g., wheezing, crackles, or stridor) are abnormal sounds that may be heard in addition to breath sounds. They do not specifically correlate with decreased breath sounds.
B. When there is obstruction in the bronchial tree (such as in conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or a foreign body obstruction), the airflow is reduced, leading to decreased breath sounds in the affected areas.
C. Whispered pectoriloquy refers to hearing whispered sounds through the stethoscope, which would be more clearly heard with consolidation or lung tissue becoming more solid (e.g., in pneumonia), not with decreased breath sounds.
D. In consolidation (such as pneumonia), breath sounds are typically increased or bronchial, not decreased. The consolidation makes the lung tissue more solid, which can amplify breath sounds.

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A patient's thyroid gland is enlarged, and the nurse is preparing to auscultate the gland for the presence of a bruit. What technique should the nurse use to assess for a bruit?

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A patient says that she has recently noticed a lump in the front of her neck below her "Adam's apple" that seems to be getting bigger. During the assessment, what finding would lead the nurse to suspect that this may not be a cancerous thyroid nodule?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

During auscultation of the lungs, the nurse expects decreased breath sounds to be heard in which situation?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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