Clinical Features and Complications of External Auditory Canal Foreign Bodies in the ENT Emergency Unit.

Objective

To determine the risk factor for developing complications in patients undergoing removal procedures for foreign bodies (FBs) in the external auditory canal (EAC) in the otolaryngology (ENT) emergency unit.

Methods

Cases involving patients with EAC FBs treated at the ENT emergency unit of a tertiary medical center were retrospectively recruited. Patients were classified into the age < 10 years and ≥10 years groups. Univariate analyses of the complication rates were performed in all patients and the two age groups.

Results

The mean age of the 457 patients was 29.9 ± 19.9 (range, 1.0-89.0) years; 42.7% (n = 195) were under 10 years of age, and 57.1% (n = 261) were male. Complications following FB removal occurred in 40 cases (8.8%), with EAC laceration being the most common (4.4%). Patients under 10 years of age had a higher risk of developing complications than those over 10 years (13.8% vs 5.0%, P = .001), with the younger group also showing an increased risk of EAC laceration (6.7% vs 2.7%, P = .039).

Conclusion

Patients under 10 years of age had a significantly-higher rate of complications after EAC FB removal in the ENT emergency unit. Sedation or surgical removal under general anesthesia should be considered to minimize the risk of complications after a failed removal under direct vision in this patient group. Further studies are warranted to verify this implication for clinical practice.