When administering otic drops to an adult client, the nurse should pull the pinna ________ and ________.

Otic medication administration requires proper anatomical alignment to ensure the medication reaches the tympanic membrane. Because the external auditory canal of an adult is curved, the nurse must manually manipulate the pinna to straighten the canal, allowing the drops to flow inward by gravity and avoid pooling. A. For an ADULT, the nurse should pull the pinna UP AND BACK. This maneuver straightens the S-shaped external auditory canal, providing a direct path for the medication to travel toward the middle ear. Proper positioning is essential for the effective treatment of conditions such as otitis externa or cerumen impaction. B. Pulling the pinna down and back is the correct technique for infants and children under the age of 3. In younger patients, the ear canal is shorter and directed more horizontally or downward. Using this technique on an adult would not effectively straighten the canal and could hinder medication delivery. C. Pulling the pinna forward is never an appropriate technique for otic administration. Moving the cartilaginous structure forward would compress or further kink the ear canal, making it nearly impossible for the medication drops to reach the inner portion of the external ear canal or the ear drum. D. Pulling the pinna down and forward would also fail to align the auditory canal in either children or adults. Effective medication delivery depends on pulling the pinna in a posterior direction (back) to uncoil the natural curvature of the ear canal, regardless of the patient's age.