Foreign body

• Demographics:

  • Usually young children aged 2-5 years
  • Beads, toy parts, pebbles, food
  • Magnets - risk if 2 or more as can cause damage
  • Button batteries - dangerous - risk of leaking content and causing tissue necrosis
• Common sites:

  • On the floor of the nasal passage, just below inferior turbinate
  • In the upper nasal fossa, anterior to the middle turbinate
• Clinical features:

  • Foul smelling discharge
  • Discharge can occasionally be blood stained
  • Excoriation around the nostril
• Management:

  • Urgent referral if dangerous object e.g. button battery
  • Mothers/parent kiss - occlude other nostril, sharp blow into mouth
  • Direct visualisation and use forceps/hooks/suction to remove
  • Unlike with ear foreign bodies there is a risk of aspiration