When assessing the tympanic membrane of an older patient, the nurse notes the presence of two jagged white lines. What best describes these findings?
1. The tympanic membrane is preparing to rupture.
2. The tympanic member has become infected.
3. The white lines indicate a past history of a tympanic rupture.
4. The presence of these markings is a normal finding.
3. The white lines indicate a past history of a tympanic rupture.
Explanation: 1. White lines along the tympanic membrane do not indicate that the membrane is going to rupture.
2. A bulging red membrane is a sign of a middle-ear infection.
3. Some older adults have jagged white scars across the tympanic membrane as a result of ruptured eardrums from infections when they were children before the widespread use of antibiotics.
4. This finding is an abnormal finding.
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