POTD: Trauma Tuesday: Lateral Canthotomy

When to perform it?

·      To release orbital compression syndrome, most commonly due to retrobulbar hematoma.

·      IOP > 40, the pressure that indicated that you need to cut and release the compartment syndrome.

·      Without decompression, irreversible vision loss due to increasing orbital pressure may occur in as little as 90-120 minutes.

Clinical situation: trauma to the head/face.

Physical exam:

https://www.emra.org/emresident/article/emergency-department-evaluation-of-blunt-orbital-trauma/

CT head and face

familiarize yourself with the anatomy

Before starting, highly consider sedation.

Steps:

1)    Generously inject 1% Lidocaine with epi to numb that lateral canthus to the orbital rim.

• Do this by directing the needle away from the globe itself

• Helps with bleeding and with pain.

2)    Using the needle driver as your hemostat, advance from the lateral canthus to outer orbit rim. Clamp down and hold for 1- 2 minutes.

3)    Using your small scissors, cut the lateral canthus to the orbital rim.

4)    Then cut inferiorly to cut the inferior crus of the lateral canthus (you may need to probe around to feel the structures)

5)    Repeat IOP. If the IOP is not immediately lower, then cut the superior crus of the lateral canthus and recheck pressure.

Pearls:

·      There is a lot of swelling. It can be hard to fit your hemostat in place and to feel your landmarks. Use you instruments to feel/probe around.

·      Also, do not worry about cutting too much. You are doing this to save this patient’s vision. After discussing this with optho, these are repaired quite easily days/weeks later. For example, Dr. Tome Levy performed this once on a patient that I later followed up with in split flow about 2 weeks later. There was no physical evidence on physical exam that this had ever happened. At first I thought I had the wrong patient in front of me… but the patient confirmed that a week and half ago he had in fact had the optho plastic surgery to repair it.  

Sources:

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/82812-overview

http://www.tamingthesru.com/blog/annals-of-b-pod/ocular-emergency

This is an excellent emrap video that reviews the procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgQaKVGynFA

POTD: Foreign Body of the Nose

Foreign body of the Nose

•        Most common age range: 2-5 yo

•        Most common FB: beads, beans, peanuts, toy parts

•        Beware of: button batteries and two magnets, as always.

•        Can lead to septal perforation/necrosis of tissue.

•        Be suspicious of nasal FB when you see unilateral discharge, often malodorous

•        Complications: infection, aspiration, epistaxis

To remove:

•        Topical lidocaine or afrin?

• Pro: improve tolerance of/cooperation with the procedure

• Con: risks displacement of the FB

How to remove

1) Mechanical extraction: You need a cooperative child and good visualization.

2) Suction: must exercise extreme caution not to push further back and aspirated into the trachea

3) Positive Pressure: Parent’s kiss, bag mask, continuous pressure

• Start by asking the child to blow their nose, occluding the unaffected nostril as they do this. Sometimes, this alone may expel the foreign body.

• Parent’s Kiss: One of my preferred methods. Has a 50 % success rate.

Kissing parent: The technique is performed by a parent by placing their mouth over the child’s (giving a ‘big kiss’), while they occlude the unaffected nostril. The parent then exhales into the child’s mouth, generating positive pressure, similar to that of nose blowing. See picture below for demonstration.

Nothing working? You may need an ENT consult because the FB is so posterior that above methods are futile.

Now that it’s removed:

·       Don’t forget to inspect for trauma or retained FB

References:

•        PEM playbook foreign bodies: excellent peds podcast by Dr. T Horeczko - ‎2015

•        Wiki EM: Nose foreign body

Look at this retro parent’s kiss!

POTD: Foreign bodies, Ears!

This is a two part series for POTD. Foreign bodies: Ears and Nose! Today, Ears!

Quick Anatomy review to help locate that FB:

•        Anatomy

–       medial 2/3 is fixed in temporal bone –where many FBs are lodged and/or where trauma

•        Ask yourself: is it graspable or non-graspable?

–       Graspable: 64% success rate, 14% complication rate

–       Non-graspable: 45% success rate, 70% complication rate

•        What instrument/method should I use for what?

–       Alligator forceps: think something graspable like paper, foam

–       Suction tip: think something non graspable like a round object such as a bead

–       Irrigation: think something non graspable like a bead (note: do not irrigate organic material as will swell or break apart)

–       Glue: something non graspable like a bead or organic material that might swell or break if irrigated

Pearls on insect FB:

·       Kill it first. They will fight.

-        What to use? Lidocaine jelly, viscous lidocaine (2%), lidocaine solution, isopropyl alcohol, or mineral oil.

-        After they are dead, you can remove or can send to ENT for removal (most patients will want it out, can you blame them?)

o    An ENT friend of mine says to keep the insect in the ear and let them remove because we tend to cause trauma. Something to keep in mind.

What if I caused or the FB (like that insect fighting for their life) caused local trauma?

•        TM rupture?

–       Keep dry

•        When to use otic abx drops

–       Any trauma or dirty FB injury (think: that insect crawling around) or canal lacerations/abrasions.

–       What to give? Ofloxacin drops or the very expensive ciprodex.

•        ENT f/u

Pitfalls

•        Inspect after removal

–       Something else in there? Abrasions/trauma and need prophylactic antibiotic ear drops

•        If at first you don’t succeed, try again. But consider changing the technique of removal. Remember the law of diminishing returns.

References:

Pem playbook: excellent peds podcast by Dr.  T Horeczko - ‎2015

Wiki EM: Ear foreign body