HEENT examination
# HEENT examination

A HEENT examination is a portion of a physical examination that principally concerns the head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat.

## Steps

* IPPA
   * Inspection of scars or skin changes
   * Palpation of temporomandibular joint, thyroid, and lymph nodes
   * Percussion may involve the skin above the frontal sinuses and paranasal sinuses to detect any signs of pain
   * Auscultation for carotid bruits
* Tests specific to HEENT examination
   * Eyes: eye examination and acuity (including ophthalmoscope)
   * Ears: hearing examination and evaluation of tympanic membrane (TM) (otoscope used in evaluation of ears, nose, and mouth)

A neurological examination is usually considered separate from the HEENT evaluation, although there can be some overlap in some cases.

## Sample write-up

| Category | Item | Sample text |
| - | - | - |
| Head | | "NC/AT" or "Normocephalic, atraumatic" |
| Eyes | ophthalmoscope | "EOM intact, PERRLA, anicteric, no injection, fundus WNL (within normal limits), no papilledema" |
| Ears | otoscope | "TM intact, noninflamed" |
| Nose | otoscope | "No congestion" |
| Throat | otoscope | "Oropharynx WNL" or "no erythema or exudate" |
| Mouth | otoscope | "Moist mucous membranes, no thrush, no vesicles, no lesions, good dentition" |
| Neck | | "No LAD, thyroid WNL, neck supple" (JVD and bruit may be reported here or in CV) |
