sponge in ear

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.

I work as a school nurse. Just had a student come in with ear pain. Took a quick peek - affected ear probably painful from big chunk of cerumen, student getting over a cold, nothing majorly alarming there. Unaffected ear has a sponge in it from a summertime otitis externa. She said it doesn't bother her and the the doctor told her it will absorb into her ear. I've never seen anything like that - though truth be told the last wick i contended with was in my own ear when i was a teenager and i have a distinct memory of it falling out when the swelling subsided. I advised her to follow up with her doc, since it's been 5 months. Can anyone shed light on this supposed absorbable sponge? If it exists, does it really take such a long time to do so?

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I know next to nothing. I am just getting over trying to get too much ear wax out of my own ears (per my doctors orders) and have been Googling sites about that.

If this is proper care for otitis externa I will be really surprised? I can't imagine leaving a sponge in the ear for 5 months, obviously it is not absorbing very quickly!

I Googled your issue but didn't find much. Ear sponges were mentioned but nothing about a sponge that absorbs into the ear? The more I think about it the more it makes no sense!

I think someone misunderstood, i.e., they were supposed to return to the doctors 4 months ago to get the ear checked and the sponge removed!

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

My cousin's daughter had one of these. I remember her briefly talking about it, its called a "wick" i think, it just acts like a sponge. You instill the medication in the sponge so it holds it in place where it is supposed to be and doesn't just come out of the ear when the child moves or stands up after the ear drops.

from what i remember my cousin said it has to be removed when she is done with the medications. I highly doubt a sponge would be absorbed back into the body....

got to wonder if family heard the doctor correctly. To make an appointment to have sponge removed when ear infection was better and medication was used up. Who knows?? It was a while ago, and i really was not that interested in it so i could be remembering wrong.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

What?? I can't hear you.......(:lol2: I couldn't resist)

Sponge in one ear, wax in the other....:uhoh3: Brother :rolleyes: let her teachers know that when she says I can't hear....she can't...:smokin:. (I just can't help myself)

As an ED nurse we see all sorts of things in ears (don't ask!:eek:) and have irrigated many amazing and gross things from this body orifice........but an absorbable sponge isn't amongst them. I have seen the little sponges for meds but they don't absorb.....I'll bet they misunderstood and need to follow up. My daughter used to get swimmers ear ALOT and now after she comes out of the water she puts a few drops of rubbing alcohol to help dry out her ear.......my Mom told me this and it works like a charm........but she's never had an absorbable sponge. I've heard of absorbable hemostat or surgicel and sutures...no sponge. :)

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I have to ask...what are some of the things you've taken out of ears in the ED?

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Bee's, cockroaches, June bugs, wheelie tires, peas (a lot of them) gravel, beads, marbles, dead fish, Swedish fish, fuzz(a ton), earrings, maggots, moths, an array of candy (mostly kids) but the ear wax itself...left to fester with food (elderly/special needs) is particulary odoriferous and gross. I hate bugs especially those June bugs with those hard little bodies they are really painful to the patient whenthey are batting around inside the ear on the tympanic membrane...yuk

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

fish???

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

I'm with Esme on this one. I have never heard of an absorbable sponge. If the pt had some type of ear surgery, then I can see Surgicel being placed, but that would absorb in a few days. Did the sponge look like a kittner?

I don't know what the policies and procedures are regarding school nursing, so my next few questions might sound rather ignorant:

1. In this case, is it the expectation that you report your findings to the parent/s?

2. Do you have permission to contact this pt's ENT doc for clarification?

3. Can you take orders directly from the ENT doc to remove the sponge if the parent/s cannot take the pt to the office? If so, do you have the tools to do so? Would you be comfortable doing that?

As mentioned, I have no idea what school nurses do, but I must give you kudos for your line of work! I can't even imagine...however, I digress.

The only thing that comes to mind is either a wick (which I don't have any experience with), a kittner, or some sort of packing that was supposed to be removed at the next visit. What did it look like? I understand that you probably had limited visualization, but did you notice a small blue thread wrapped in the sponge?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I'n not an ED nurse and haven't heard of this. I wouldn't be leaving a sponge in my own ear let alone anyone elses personally.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
fish???

Over the years........A few guppies and a handful of goldfish......and the answer to the next question...I have NO idea why.:lol2:

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Specializes in MPH Student Fall/14, Emergency, Research.
Over the years........A few guppies and a handful of goldfish......and the answer to the next question...I have NO idea why.:lol2:

I think you can thank Douglas Adams for that..... :lol2:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babel_fish

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Specializes in school nursing, ortho, trauma.
I'm with Esme on this one. I have never heard of an absorbable sponge. If the pt had some type of ear surgery, then I can see Surgicel being placed, but that would absorb in a few days. Did the sponge look like a kittner?

I don't know what the policies and procedures are regarding school nursing, so my next few questions might sound rather ignorant:

1. In this case, is it the expectation that you report your findings to the parent/s?

2. Do you have permission to contact this pt's ENT doc for clarification?

3. Can you take orders directly from the ENT doc to remove the sponge if the parent/s cannot take the pt to the office? If so, do you have the tools to do so? Would you be comfortable doing that?

As mentioned, I have no idea what school nurses do, but I must give you kudos for your line of work! I can't even imagine...however, I digress.

The only thing that comes to mind is either a wick (which I don't have any experience with), a kittner, or some sort of packing that was supposed to be removed at the next visit. What did it look like? I understand that you probably had limited visualization, but did you notice a small blue thread wrapped in the sponge?

Thanks all, for your responses.

The sponge didn't look like a kittner - in fact it took a second before i realized it was a sponge at all. I thought it was a crust of cerumen (gross, i know!). Called the kid's mom and left a message for her to call me back. I'll explain to her that she needs to have it checked. From what the student said, i don't think she has an ENT - sounds like it was put in by a ped or even a clinic. No matter, i don't have the tools or know how to feelcomfortable to remove it. Student says it's not bothering her - so i'll let it ride and follow up on Monday with the student.

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