Aural Foreign Bodies in the Children
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2007
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Published by: Dept. of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi, India.
Abstract
Objective
Foreign body in the ear is commonly encountered in children by primary care givers, emergency department Physicians, Pediatricians and Otolaryngologists worldwide.
Methods
We reviewed cases of aural foreign bodies in children seen in our centre over a five-year period with the aim of auditing our current practice and suggesting possible improvements suited for developing countries.
Results
Grains and seeds (27.9%), beads (19.7%), cotton wool (13.6%), paper (8.8%) and eraser (8.2%) formed the bulk of the aural foreign bodies. About 96% was removed without general anesthesia by using Jobson Horne’s probe or aural dressing forceps (73.8%) under direct vision; or by syringing (22.1%). Some 4% had to be removed in the operating theatre under general anesthesia. The complications observed include bruise or laceration and bleeding from the external auditory canal (16.3%), otitis externa (6.5%) and traumatic perforation of the tympanic membrane (1.7%).
Conclusion
Despite a high proportion of cases managed in the office setting, complication rates were within acceptable levels. There is need to develop practical criteria that will be beneficial to primary health care givers to determine which patients could be managed in the primary care setting with acceptable outcome.
Description
Aural foreign bodies
Keywords
Aural Foreign bodies, Children Audit, ear, emergency department
Citation
Ologe F.E., Dunmade A.D. & Afolabi O.A. (2007): Aural Foreign Bodies in the Children: Indian Journal of Pediatric. 74 (8); 5-8.