REMOVAL OF FOREIGN OBJECTS

Foreign objects often become caught in body tissues such as skin, eyes, ears and
nostrils. Patients with this kind of problem are frequently found in a physician's office.
This unit will review usual office procedures involved in cases of this kind.

PATIENT PREPARATION
This will depend upon what the foreign object is and where it is located. However, one
of the first things to remember is that the patient will be frightened and anxious. Taking
a few moments to calm and reassure the patient will make the patient feel much better
and will also make dealing with that person much easier. Adults may be asked to lie
down on the examiner's table or sit in a chair in the examiner's room. Adults will
usually respond to verbal reassurances much better than children. If the patient is a
child (as is often the case with foreign objects) reassure the parent and ask him or her
to hold and reassure the child. Sometimes it is necessary to restrain small children by
wrapping them securely in a sheet or lightweight blanket; the parent or another person
may hold the head firmly to prevent the child from thrashing around while the object is
being removed.

FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE SKIN

Any foreign object that has entered the skin should only be removed by the doctor.
Sterile technique is necessary in order to prevent severe infections at the point of entry.
Foreign objects most often found in the skin are glass splinters of wood, steel, and
occasionally pieces of rock or stone. All of these objects are potentially dangerous and
should be removed as soon as possible.

The physician will need a setup similar to that used for minor surgery. The assistant
prepares the treatment room in much the same way, being sure to check with the doctor
for any additional equipment that might be needed. After preparing the patient and the
treatment room, the assistant helps during the procedure unless otherwise instructed by
the physician.

FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE EYE

The assistant should NEVER attempt to remove any foreign body embedded in the eye
ball. If the object is causing intense pain and discomfort, the medical assistant should
have the patient lie down. If the doctor cannot be reached immediately, the medical
assistant may gently and lightly apply cold sterile compress to the affected eye until he
is contacted.
FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE EAR
Children often put foreign objects in their ears. Peas, beads, cotton or anything else to
which the child has access may eventually find its way into one or both ears! If the
object is far down into the ear canal, the assistant should not attempt to remove it as it
may merely move farther down. The physician must see these patients. If it is located
just within the ear and can be easily removed without injury, the assistant may use a
cotton-moistened applicator to remove it.

If the foreign object is an insect, the assistant may instill a few drops of warm oil, such
as mineral oil. The oil causes the insect to suffocate. This stops the movement which
was the cause for the patient's severe discomfort. When the insect is dead, the oil and
insect can be easily removed from the ear with aid of a cotton-tipped swab.

CAUTION: Never place oil or any liquid in a patient's ear that contains an object other
than insect! The liquid could make a foreign body, such as a dry bean or bead, swell
thus causing even more discomfort and pain. This would also make the removal of the
object more difficult.

FOREIGN OBJECTS IN THE NOSE

Again, this situation is most often found in children who have intentionally put some
foreign object up the nose. The objects are of the same variety that children are prone
to stuff into their ears. If however, it is embedded deeply in the nasal passage, the
doctor must remove the object. As previously mentioned; the medical assistant must be
sure she has the physician's permission, beforehand, to perform any office procedure at
which he is not present, however minor it may be.