Foreign Bodies

Aetiology

They are mostly seen in children and may be organic or inorganic. Pieces of paper, chalk,buttons,pebbles and seeds are the common objects. Pledges of cotton or swabs may be left in the nose accidently.

Clinical Features

Patient may present immediately if the history of foreign body is known. If overlooked, the child presents with unilateral nasal discharge which is often foul-smelling and occasionally blood-stained. It is a dictum that “if a child presents with unilateral, foul smelling nasal discharge, foreign body must be executed”. Occasionally a radiograph of the noise is useful to confirm and localize a foreign body if it is radio-opaque.

Treatment

pieces of paper or cotton swabs can easily removed with a pair of forceps. Rounded foreign bodies can be removed by passing a blunt hook, past the foreign body and gently dragging it forward along the floor. In babies and uncooperative children, general anaesthesia with cuffed endotracheal tubes is used. Patient is placed in rose’s position, a pack inserted into the nasopharynx and the foreign body reteieved with a forceps or a hook. Foreign bodies loged far behind in the nose may need to be pushed into the nasophyarynx before removal.

Timings

Our Area of Expertise

First Centre in Kerala and one of the pioneer institutes in India to conduct the DRAF3 surgery which is the best and the latest available surgical solution for the repeated problem of nasal polyps and fungal sinusitis.