Item Brochure

2322
How to Conduct an Otoscopic Examination
1. Carefully inspect the pinna and postauricular skin. Gently palpate the pinna to
determine if any tenderness exists.
2. Inspect the entrance to the ear canal for debris or pus, which might interfere
with further examination.
3. Choose the largest speculum that can comfortably be inserted into the ear
canal. Straightening the outer ear canal makes insertion of the speculum easier.
For adults, this is accomplished by retracting the pinna upwards and backwards.
For children, this is accomplished by retracting the pinna horizontally backwards.
4. When using the MacroView
TM
otoscope, set the focusing wheel of the otoscope
to the default position by aligning the green line on the focusing wheel with the
corresponding green dot on the side of the instrument. You will feel the focusing
wheel settle into the default setting. The majority of the exams can be completed
at the default focusing position.
5. There are two common ways to hold the otoscope. The first way is
to hold the otoscope like a hammer by gripping the top of the power
handle between your thumb and forefinger, close to the light source. You
can conveniently hold the bulb of the pneumatic attachment between the
palm of the same hand and the power handle. It is recommended that
you extend the middle and ring finger outward so they come into contact
with the person’s cheek. This way, any sudden flinch by the patient will
not cause the otoscope to be jammed into the ear canal.
The otoscope can also be held like a pencil, between the thumb and the
forefinger, with the ulnar aspect of the hand resting firmly but gently
against the patient’s cheek. You can hold the bulb of the pneumatic
attachment in the palm of the same hand. If the patient turns or moves,
the otoscope will move in unison with the patient’s head. This will avoid
possible injury to the ear canal or even the tympanic membrane.
It is very important that the otoscope be held correctly, particularly
when examining children. A sudden movement by the patient could
cause the skin on the inside of the ear canal to be pierced by the end
of the speculum.
6. It may be necessary to adjust the line of sight and the position of the
speculum to get a complete view of the entire ear canal and all areas of
the tympanic membrane. This yields a composite view of the external
canal and the tympanic membrane.
7. If the tympanic membrane or desired area in view is not in focus, the
practitioner has the option to adjust the focal length of the optics system
of the MacroView otoscope. To adjust the focal length, place a finger on
either side of the focusing wheel or on the back eyepiece of the otoscope.
To shorten the focal length or zoom in, rotate the focusing wheel towards
the smaller dashes on the side of the otoscope. To increase the focal length
or zoom out, rotate the focusing wheel towards the longer dashes.
8. After the examination is complete, the used specula should be
removed from the otoscope. Simply twist the specula off or use the
TipGrip feature (MacroView only) by rotating the TipGrip counter-
clockwise to disengage the specula.