HENT System Definitions Copy
| Macrocephalic | Unusually large head. |
| Microcephalic | Abnormally small head with an underdeveloped brain. |
| Atraumatic | Without trauma. |
| Normocephalic | Normal sized head. |
| Raccoon’s Eye | Sign of basal skull fracture, a craniotomy that ruptured the meninges, or certain cancers. |
| Battle’s Sign | A discoloration behind the ear in the line of the posterior auricular artery, often associated with a basilar skull fracture. |
| Abrasion | An abnormality that refers to the scraping or wearing away of skin. |
| Contusion | A region of injured tissue or skin in which blood capillaries have been ruptured. Also known as a bruise. |
| Laceration | A deep cut or tear of the skin. Also known as a gash. |
| Periorbital Erythema | This is redness of the skin caused by dilatation and congestion of the capillaries around the eye. This is often a sign of inflammation or infection surrounding the eyes. |
| Mid Ear Effusion | Fluid in the middle ear (behind the eardrum). |
| Mastoid tenderness | Tenderness to the mastoid region, which can indicate infection of the mastoid cavity (part of skull behind ears). |
| Hemotympanum | The presence of blood in the tympanic cavity of the middle ear. Hemotympanum is often the result of a basilar skull fracture. |
| Injected TM | Normal tympanic membranes should appear pearly gray, and you should not be able to see blood vessels except on the outer margins. When you can see blood vessels (other than on the margins), this is referred to as “injected.” The blood vessels can make the entire eardrum red. |
| Perforated TM | An eardrum with a hole or tear in it – this can interfere with normal hearing and cause other ear problems. |
| Rhinorrhea | Persistent watery mucus discharge from the nose. |
| Septal Deviation | When a portion of the cartilage or bony septum protrudes into the nasal airway causing obstruction – this is a medical emergency and should be documented as “negative” on all nasal injuries if a patient does not have evidence of septal deviation. |
| Septal Hematoma | Collection of blood between the perichondrium of the nasal septum and the septal cartilage. |
| Epistaxis | Bleeding from the nose. |
| Sinusitis | A sinus infection is inflammation or swelling of your sinuses. Normally, your sinuses are filled with air. When the sinuses become blocked and filled with fluid, bacteria can grow there and cause infection. This infection is called sinusitis. |
| Dental caries | This refers to dental cavities, which are soft decayed areas in the teeth. Progressive decay can lead to the death of a tooth. |
| Dental abscess | A tooth abscess or root abscess is pus enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the apex of an infected tooth root. |
| Trismus | Spasm of the jaw muscles, causing the mouth to remain tightly closed – typically a symptom of tetanus. |
| Cyanotic | Bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes – a sign that oxygen in the blood is dangerously diminished. |
| Malocclusion | Imperfect positioning of the teeth when the jaws are closed. |
EYES
| Chemosis | Swelling of the tissue that lines the eyelids and surface of the eye (conjunctiva). |
| Hordeolum | A small infection of the glands in the eye, located in the eyelids. The infection causes a red bump on the eyelid that may look like a pimple. This type of infection, also known as a stye, is usually quite painful. |
| Scleral injection | Bloodshot, red eyes. |
| Nystagmus | A term to describe fast, uncontrollable movements of the eyes that may be side to side (horizontal nystagmus), up and down (vertical nystagmus), or rotary (rotary or torsion nystagmus). |
| PERRL | This acronym stands for “pupils equal, round, reactive to light.” This is a normal pupillary response. |
| EOMI | This stands for “Extraocular movements intact.” |
| Subconjunctival hemorrhage | A tiny blood vessel breaks just underneath the clear surface of the eye (conjunctiva). |
FUNDUSCOPIC EXAMINATION:
| AV nicking | A vascular abnormality in the retina of the eye, in which a vein is compressed by an arteriovenous crossing. |
| Papilledema | Swelling of the optic nerve, at the point where the optic nerve joins the eye, that is caused by an increase in fluid pressure within the skull (intracranial pressure). |
| Red reflex | Refers to a reddish reflection that is observed when a light is shone in a patient’s healthy eye. |
SLIT LAMP EXAMINATION:
| Hyphema | A collection of blood inside the front part of the eye. |
| Hypopyon | Inflammatory cells in the anterior chamber of the eye. |