young children aged 1 - 4 years may put foreign bodies up one or both nostrils
rarely, in an adult, nasal obstruction may be caused by a rhinolith which consists of layers of calcium and magnesium salts formed around a central nucleus - often a foreign body.
common nasal foreign bodies include
beads, buttons, toy parts, pebbles, candle wax, food, paper, cloth, and button batteries (1)
common sites where nasal foreign bodies tend to get lodged are: (1)
on the floor of the nasal passage, just below the inferior turbinate
in the upper nasal fossa anterior to the middle turbinate
clinical features include:
foul-smelling nasal discharge (1)
discharge may occasionally blood stained
excoriation around the nostril
management (1)
seek expert advice
0.5% phenylephrine can be used to reduce mucosal edema before removal of foreign body
topical lidocaine can be applied as an analgesic
techniques include removal with direct visualization using
forceps
curved hooks
cerumen loops
suction catheters
complications
there is danger of injury from clumsy attempts at removal by an unskilled person
a nasal foreign body carries the danger of inhalation into the lungs and subsequent formation of a lung abscess
there may be a local spread of infection to cause a sinusitis or meningitis.
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