Aural foreign bodies in children.

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.