Affiliations 

  • 1 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kuala Lumpur
  • 2 T M Izam, FRCS. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kuala Lumpur
  • 3 C B Koay, FRCS. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kuala Lumpur
Med J Malaysia, 2001 Dec;56(4):463-70.
PMID: 12014767

Abstract

The results of a prospective study of 94 patients with history of ear, nose or aerodigestive tract foreign bodies were analysed. Sixty six to 94% of patients presented within 24 hours to a primary care doctor, 80 to 94% was referred to the ENT Department within 24 hours and 89 to 93% of patients had their foreign bodies removed within 24 hours. Overall, 58% of aural foreign bodies, 67% nasal foreign bodies and 94% of aerodigestive tract foreign bodies were removed within 48 hours of insertion. As a result of the prompt removal of foreign bodies in the majority of patients, no significant complications occurred. Foreign bodies in the aerodigestive tract tend to present earlier and more promptly removed compared with ear and nose foreign bodies. There was a significantly higher proportion of foreign body in the right ear and nostril compared to the left.

Study site: ENT Department, Hospital Kuala Lumpur

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.