Comparison of Care Settings for Pediatric External Auditory Canal Foreign Bodies: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the success and complication rates of pediatric external auditory canal foreign body (EAC FB) removal between Emergency Departments (ED), Primary Care Providers (PCP), and Otolaryngologists (ENT).

METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were searched through January 13, 2022. Studies mentioning EAC FB removal success rates and types of healthcare settings were included. Pooled measures included abrasions/lacerations, TM perforations, and success rate stratified by healthcare setting.

RESULTS: Thirteen studies and 3891 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Most comparisons between EAC FB removal success rates for EDs versus PCPs versus ENTs were statistically significant. The highest FB removal success rate was in patients who presented to ENTs without previous removal attempts (92.9% [95% CI 84.6-98.2]). EDs had the lowest success rates (64.0% [95% CI 48.3-78.3]). For patients that had a previous attempt at FB removal, ENTs had a success rate of 64.1% [95% CI 42.0-83.5].

CONCLUSIONS: For ENTs treating pediatric EAC FB, removal success rates decrease if a different healthcare provider previously attempted EAC FB removal. This effect likely is due to decreased patient cooperativeness or increased FB complications (eg, canal edema and bleeding limiting visualization) after previous removal attempts. Individual institutions should identify conditions that increase EAC FB removal failure rates and necessitate ENT referral. Therefore, the communication and concerted efforts between EDs, PCPs, and ENTs are critical for the improved outcomes of pediatric EAC FBs.