Health Assessment

Inspection and Palpation

Usually the head is
1 symmetric, round, 2 The head is
erect, and in the normally hard
Palpate head and smooth,
Inspect the midline and for consistency without lesions.
head for size, appropriately related while wearing
shape, and to the body size gloves.
configuration. (normocephalic).

Normally, the face is

3 symmetric with a 4
Temporal
artery should
Inspect the face for round, oval, elongated,
Palpate the be elastic and
symmetry, features, or square appearance
temporal not tender.
movement, with abnormal
movements. artery.
expression, and skin
condition.

5 Normally there
is no swelling,
Palpate the
tempomandibular tenderness, or
joint (TMJ). crecipitation
with movement.
 Inspection and Palpation

2
Normally, the
1 Neck is thyroid cartilage
and cricoid cartilage
symmetric, with Inspect the movement
Inspect the will move upward
head centered of the neck structures
neck. symmetrically as
and without by asking the client to
the client swallows.
bulging masses. swallow a small sip of
water.

3 4 Normally
C7 (vertebrae neck movement
Inspect the
prominens) is Inspect range of
should be smooth
usually visible and controlled
cervical motion by asking
with 45-degree
vertebrae. and palpable. the client to turn the
flexion, 55-degree
head to the right
extension, 40-
and the left (chin to
degree lateral
shoulder), touch
abduction, and
each ear to the
70-degree
shoulder, touch chin
rotation.
to chest, and lift the
chin to the ceiling.

5 Trachea
Palpate the should be in
trachea. the midline.
 Inspection and Palpation

6 The thyroid 7 Normally, there

gland is should be no
Palpate the Auscultate bruits that will
thyroid usually not the thyroid. be auscultated.
gland. palpable.

Palpate the lymph nodes.

9 There should be
no swelling, no
Palpate the preauricular nodes,
postauricular nodes, and occipital nodes, tenderness, no
tonsillar nodes, submandibular nodes, hardness is
submental nodes, superficial cervical present.
nodes, posterior cervical nodes, deep
cervical chain nodes, supraclavicular
nodes.