A patient with mastoiditis fails to respond to antibiotics and undergoes a radical mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty. A nursing priority is assessing for which of the following complications postoperatively?
A) Mouth droop and decreased lateral eye gaze
B) Increased middle ear pressure and perforated eardrum
C) Gradual onset of conductive hearing loss and nystagmus
D) Scar tissue and cerumen obstructing the auditory canal
Ans: A
Feedback: The facial nerve runs through the middle ear and the mastoid; therefore, there is risk of injuring this nerve during a mastoidectomy. When injury occurs, the patient may display mouth droop and decreased lateral gaze on the operative side. Tympanoplasty is surgical reconstruction to treat a perforated eardrum. Hearing is restored by the tympanoplasty. Scar tissue is a long-term complication of tympanoplasty and therefore would not be evident during the immediate postoperative period.
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