Foreign bodies in the nose.

BACKGROUND: Nasal foreign bodies occur most frequently in children and most times first present to the emergency physicians. It poses a challenge to the Otorhinolaryngologist when tampered with. The objective of this paper is to determine the pattern of foreign bodies lodged in the nasal passages in Port Harcourt with a view to documenting the types and highlighting the results of management.

METHODS: A retrospective study was done using 134 patients who presented with foreign bodies in the nose to the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and Benok Consultants Clinic both in Port Harcourt over an eight-year period from January 1993 to December 2000.

RESULTS: One hundred and thirty four patients were seen with a male female ratio of approximately 1:1. Age range was 1-21 years with a mean of 3.23 years +/- 2.48 [SD] and mode of 2-years. The children within the age group 2-4 years had the highest incidence. The right side of the nose was more involved than the left with only one bilateral case noted. The foam was the commonest foreign body found. Most patients presented within the 1st day with only 15 presenting late. Most were removed in the clinic under good illumination, only 6 had to undergo examination under anaesthesia (EUA) in the theatre and these were the uncooperative patients.

CONCLUSION: Foreign body in the nose is an emergency only as far as it concerns anxiety to the relations. It presents no problems in management to the Otorhinolaryngologist