Nasal foreign bodies: Results of a study of 260 cases

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AimsInsertion of a foreign body in the nasal cavity is a very common incident in children. It is easily diagnosed, but the type of foreign body varies and extraction can sometimes be difficult, with risk of complications. The present study reports nasal foreign bodies seen in emergency in our ENT department, with an update on the state of knowledge. Materials and methodsA prospective study between May and August 2011 included all patients admitted to the ENT emergency unit for nasal foreign body. Data comprised age, gender, circumstances of discovery, symptoms, type of foreign body, extraction method and complications. ResultsTwo hundred and sixty cases of nasal foreign body were included, representing 4.3% of all consultations in the unit. Mean age was 3 years (range: 1–16 years); the sex ratio was 1.4 (male predominance). The incident was reported by a family member or the actual child in 76.9% of cases (n=199), or discovered following nasal symptoms in 23.1% (n=61). The main types of foreign body were non-organic synthetic beads in 18.8% of cases and vegetable forms in 17.7%. Extraction was easy, using forceps, micro-hooks or suction, in 91.53% of cases. Complications comprised infection (n=48), epistaxis (n=18) and nasal septum perforation (n=1). ConclusionNasal foreign bodies are a frequent accident in medical practice, especially in young children. They are generally harmless, but may incur complications if overlooked or when a button cell is involved, whence the importance of timely extraction. The best treatment, however, remains prevention.