Evaluation of Ear, Nose and Throat Foreign Bodies in the Department of ENT-Head and Neck Surgery in a Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Objective: FB (foreign bodies) in ear, nose and throat are often encountered by otolaryngologists in their daily practice and is commonly seen in both children and adults. Depending upon the type and location of FB, it may have serious impact on individual's health if instant appropriate action is not taken. That's why, there's frequent visits to ED (emergency department) on having FB in ear and aerodigestive tracts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nature, common sites, modes of presentation, modes of management of FB, age and gender distribution. Materials and Methods:A retrospective hospital-based study was done in Universal College of Medical Sciences, Bhairahawa, Rupandehi, Nepal from March 2014 to September 2017. The information was obtained from hospital record books.Results: Out of 483 total patients, 287 (59.42%) were male and 196 (40.57%) were female. Most of them were less than 10 years old. Of the 483 patients, 202 (41.82%) had FB in the ear, 132 (27.32%) in the nose and 149 (30.84%) in the throat. Living FB were found in 54 (26.73%) patients out of 202 in the ear, 10 (7.57%) patients out of 132 in the nose and none in the throat. Of the total patients, 97 (20.08%) required general anesthesia (GA) to remove FBs and the rest 427 (88.4%) patients were dealt with or without local anesthesia. Most of the FBs were removed promptly on presentation otherwise within 24 hours of presentation in the hospital. Conclusion:FB in ENT were found more commonly in the children and the commonest site was ear. Timely presentation, prompt diagnosis and needful management in a center with otolaryngology practice reduces the morbidity and mortality. Most of the FB in ENT can be removed in outpatient department (OPD) or emergency room (ER) with or without local anesthesia (LA).