Ear foreign body
Revision as of 16:39, 13 July 2016 by Neil.m.young (talk | contribs) (Text replacement - "followup" to "follow-up")
Background
- Usually children 6 yo or younger
Clinical Features
- Caregiver often reports seeing child put something in the ear
- Decreased hearing or otalgia
- More common on right (hand dominant) side
- May have otorrhea or bleeding
- Foreign body contacting tympanic membrane can cause intractable hiccups
Differential Diagnosis
Ear Diagnoses
External
- Auricular hematoma
- Auricular perichondritis
- Cholesteatoma
- Contact dermatitis
- Ear foreign body
- Herpes zoster oticus (Ramsay Hunt syndrome)
- Malignant otitis externa
- Otitis externa
- Otomycosis
- Tympanic membrane rupture
Internal
- Acute otitis media
- Chronic otitis media
- Mastoiditis
Inner/vestibular
Diagnosis
- Typically seen on visual inspection or otoscopy
- Check other ear / nares
Management
- Button battery - Requires emergent removal (in consultation with ENT)
- Insect - Kill with mineral oil, EtOH, or 2% lidocaine prior to removal
- Penetrating FB's - Have a low threshold for ENT consult
Removal
- Irrigation
- Contraindicated if suspected TM perforation, tympanostomy tubes, button battery, or vegetable parts (swells)
- Body temperature sterile water or normal saline
- Attach 14 or 16 ga IV catheter to syringe
- Alligator forceps
- Right angle tool / day hook
- Schuknect extractor (attaches to wall suction)
- Dermabond on a swab stick
- Allow glue to become tacky before inserting into canal
Antibiotics
- Ofloxacin if perforated TM or significant trauma to ear canal
Disposition
- Emergent ENT for all button batteries failing ED management
- Urgent ENT consult/follow-up for TM injuries