Effective treatment options include cerumenolytic agents, irrigation with or without cerumenolytic pretreatment, and manual removal. Home irrigation with a bulb syringe may be appropriate for selected adults. Cotton-tipped swabs, ear candling, and olive oil drops or sprays should be avoided.
Full Answer
Is docusate-sodium-based pre-treatment effective in the treatment of cerumen impaction?
The effect-size of docusate-sodium-based pre-treatment indicates a higher effectiveness of cerumen impaction removal. Nevertheless, superiority could not be shown conclusively according to the statistical significance given the restricted sample size.
Does pre-treatment improve the outcome of cerumen removal in peripheral cerumen infection?
Those with pre-treatment had 35% higher odds (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 0.69-2.65) of complete clearance of cerumen compared to those with no pre-treatment. Adjusting for age and sex did not change the result. Neither the unadjusted odds nor the adjusted odds were significant.
What is cerumen impaction and what are the symptoms?
Cerumen impaction causes symptoms such as hearing loss, ear noise or ear pain and is a common reason for consultation in general practice.1,2About 5% of adults, 10% of children and one-third of geriatric and cognitively impaired individuals are affected.3,4Cerumen becomes drier at an older age due to atrophy of the cerumen glands.
Is cerumen production a normal and protective process in ear canal?
Am Fam Physician. 2018 Oct 15;98(8):525-529. Authors Charlie Michaudet 1 , John Malaty 1 Affiliation 1University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. PMID: 30277727 Abstract Cerumen production is a normal and protective process for the ear canal.
What is the best treatment for impacted cerumen?
Effective treatment options include cerumenolytic agents, irrigation with or without cerumenolytic pretreatment, and manual removal. Home irrigation with a bulb syringe may be appropriate for selected adults. Cotton-tipped swabs, ear candling, and olive oil drops or sprays should be avoided.
How do you remove cerumen impaction?
Use warm water. After a day or two, when the wax is softened, use a rubber-bulb syringe to gently squirt warm water into your ear canal. Tilt your head and pull your outer ear up and back to straighten your ear canal. When finished irrigating, tip your head to the side to let the water drain out.
Which procedure is performed on patients that have cerumen impaction?
Ear irrigation This procedure involves the use of warm (ideally body temperature) water under pressure directed into the ear canal to mechanically remove the wax.
How do you irrigate an impacted cerumen?
Do use warm water to irrigate the ear, room temperature is best. Do flush the ear gently, as a forceful flow of water can damage the ear. Do avoid sticking any objects into the ear, this causes the wax to be pushed further into the ear. Do use ear drops to loosen the wax if this is a common problem.
What is impacted cerumen?
Cerumen impaction is defined as an accumulation of cerumen that causes symptoms or prevents assessment of the ear canal, tympanic membrane, or audiovestibular system; complete obstruction is not required.
What is cerumen lavage?
Description. Impacted cerumen removal is the extraction of hardened or accumulated cerumen (ear wax) from the external auditory canal by mechanical means, such as irrigation or debridement.
Which of the following best describes the correct method for ear irrigation quizlet?
Which of the following best describes the correct method for an ear irrigation? hold the tip of the syringe 1/2 inch from the ear and aim towards the top of the ear canal.
What is ear syringing procedure?
Also known as ear irrigation, ear syringing is a routine procedure to remove excess ear wax or foreign objects (food or insects) from the ear. This painless technique is often used to remove wet or very soft wax that has collected on the eardrum.
What instrument is used to remove impacted cerumen?
Forceps are used in a variety of applications in the medical field, including cerumen removal.
What is the likelihood ratio of a tympanic membrane?
A tympanic membrane with distinctly impaired mobility has an adjusted likelihood ratio of 31. A tympanic membrane with slightly impaired mobility has an adjusted likelihood ratio of 4. A tympanic membrane with normal mobility is unlikely to be consistent with acute otitis media.
What is posterior epistaxis?
Posterior epistaxis is less common than anterior epistaxis and is most commonly due to bleeding from the sphenopalatine artery, located at the posterior aspect of the middle nasal turbinate.
What is UV keratitis?
Ultraviolet keratitis is the result of corneal epithelial damage from exposure to intense UV light. It can be from welding without eye protection, prolonged exposure to sunlight, or using a tanning bed without eye protection. Signs and symptoms include intense eye pain, photophobia, redness, and tearing with diffuse punctate corneal lesions seen with fluorescein staining. Onset of symptoms is typically delayed for several hours. Treatment consists of topical cycloplegics, broad spectrum antibiotic eye ointment, and ophthalmologic follow-up.
How to treat acute angle glaucoma?
Treatment is aimed at rapid reduction of intraocular pressure by inhibiting production of aqueous humor and improving outflow. This can be achieved with a topical beta-blocking agent such as timolol. Additional medications that may be used include alpha-agonists (brimonidine), prostaglandin analogues (latanoprost), and pilocarpine (topical miotic). Adjunctive therapy includes carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (acetazolamide) and osmotic diuretics (mannitol). Corneal indentation is reserved for intraocular pressures >50 mm Hg or when other agents are ineffective.
How long does it take for a labial artery to bleed?
Answer: The labial artery typically bleeds two to five days after the injury. You should teach them how to hold pressure on the area should this occur.
What is oral candidiasis?
Oral candidiasis occurs mainly in (B) premature infants and immunocompromised individuals (cancer, HIV, steroid-therapy). It is often the first sign of AIDS in young adults. The white plaques do scrape off (C) in oral candidiasis. This is one way to distinguish the lesions from similar looking oral hairy leukoplakia, which do not scrape off. Treatment is with oral antifungal medication (D) such as nystatin, fluconazole, or clotrimazole.
How long to apply cotton balls to a bleed?
If the bleeding is profuse, apply cotton balls soaked in a topical anesthetic and vasoconstrictor for at least five minutes. A good option is 1% tetracaine plus 0.05% oxymetazoline solution. In posterior epistaxis, this may not achieve hemostasis or allow visualization of the location of bleeding.