A Locoregional Study over Clinical Pattern of External Auditory Canal Foreign Body and Management

Abstract

Aims : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical pattern of external auditory canal (EAC) foreign body (FB) and management in the Garhwal hill region and to set guidelines for the management of EAC FB for the general practitioners in rural or remote settings. Materials and Methods : This study was undertaken in the outdoors and emergency of Otorhinolaryngology Department, VCSG Government Medical Science and Research Institute, Srinagar, Uttarakhand. Statistical analysis used : The data were analyzed using graph pad and SPSS version 15. Results : The age of patients ranged from 1 to 75 years. Out of 118 cases, most common FBs were insects (32), followed by beads (21), beans (16), and others. Maximum numbers of FBs were seen in age group 1-15 years and the most common FB in this age group was beads. Methods of successful removal included Alligator forceps (59), Jobson's probe (31), and syringing (28). Conclusions : Successful removal of EAC foreign depends on several factors. Patient's co-operation level is vital. FB removal techniques were more successful for irregularly shaped objects with soft and graspable parts in comparison to hard and rounded objects which were difficult to grasp with forceps. Syringing technique is the safest and easy.