You are caring for a patient who has come into the emergency department with a foreign body in his right ear. After further investigation you determine that the foreign object is an insect. What intervention would the physician order first for this client?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse would know that the physician will order diluted alcohol irrigation of the affected ear. This will suffocate the insect so it can be removed from the ear with forceps. If the foreign object were vegetable matter, irrigation would not be performed due to the enlargement of the object when it is hydrated, which would make the impaction worse.

You Are Caring for a Patient Who Has Come into the Emergency