Moth in ear

[Interpolfanclub]

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Had a patient last night with a moth that flew into hear ear. Killed it with viscous lido but couldn't for the life of me get it out of her ear. Tried irrigating with angiocath, removal with alligator forceps and suction but nothing worked.

On visual inspection all I could see was part of her TM and a big soft yellow belly and some wings and legs.

Anything else you folks would have tried? I don't know if I could have slipped a foley behind it.

 

[leorl]

I had similar once. Roach in ear. Killed with viscous lido which then made the roach so soft that it split in pieces when I tried to remove it. Took a lot of forcep attempts and syringing to get it fully out.

 

[TysonCook]

60cc toomey syringe, with pretty good pressure AFTER you take your alligator forceps and smash it up (your not trying to remove it with the forceps, just smash up the belly, legs, etc, then irrigation is your friend.

 

[Interpolfanclub]

I guess I was taking the opp. approach, I didn't want to smash it up and leave parts in there. But it does make sense that I would have been able to irrigate the parts out.

The other aspect of the case is this pt. was understandably distraught, flinching, moving. I think I would have had needed to sedate her to remove all of the offending critter.

 

[loveboatdoc]

I used mineral oil to kill it, then irigated it out. We also had some oil of clove on hand (tells ya how long ago I was in this particular ER)...I was told it also works well (they usualy used it for ear pain in little kids whose parents could not afford the auralgan.

 

[deleted109597]

Cotton swab and dermabond. You can snare the critter (after death) with glue. Just don't glue the swab to their ear.

 

[The White Coat Investor]

Get the really good ENT forceps. It is SOOO much easier to do the job when you have the right tools.

 

[Hamhock]

Cotton swab and dermabond. You can snare the critter (after death) with glue. Just don't glue the swab to their ear.

I SO could have used that technique tonight...why didn't one of the many Peds EM-trained docs mention that to me?

HH

 

[gudog]

Don't forget the old flashlight trick.

If the moth is alive, cut all the lights in the room and point a light into the ear. The moth will fly out.

I have done this with success to myself, and it worked.

 

[kungfufishing]

Just dont try too hard and hurt the patient. If you cant get it out, Ent can tomorrow.

 

[Arcan57]

I like the lidocaine 1% (not viscous), dwell for ~10 min)and then irrigate. I had an adult with pretty severe autism that had a tick stuck to his TM. Instilled lido, wait to morning report, came back and the tick had exploded and it was very easy to irrigate out the pieces.

 

[WilcoWorld]

Don't forget the old flashlight trick.

If the moth is alive, cut all the lights in the room and point a light into the ear. The moth will fly out.

I have done this with success to myself, and it worked.

In a thread with many good ideas, this is the best!

 

[Katydid]

Don't forget the old flashlight trick.

If the moth is alive, cut all the lights in the room and point a light into the ear. The moth will fly out.

I have done this with success to myself, and it worked.

Not a doctor, but I did do this myself at home when I had a tiny moth decide that my ear was a great hiding place.

Little sucker flew right out....and then I smacked it with a flyswatter, to avoid a repeat experience.

 

[surftheiop]

Don't forget the old flashlight trick.

If the moth is alive, cut all the lights in the room and point a light into the ear. The moth will fly out.

I have done this with success to myself, and it worked.

I'm not a MD, but I do know a little bit about bugs.

Be absolutely sure its a moth before you try this, if its a cockroach or something similar, they will attempt to run away from the light and get themselves even farther back.

I have heard that if you just turn all the lights out in a room and wait like 10 minutes that live cockroaches will start exploring and will leave ear on their own accord.

So yeah, moths will follow the light, cockroaches will avoid it

 

[zeitgeber]

you can try a metal ent suction cath