A live insect within the external auditory canal is an unpleasant possibility during
wilderness recreation. To our knowledge, no study has attempted to quantify the risk
of this event occurring in the wilderness. However, such events anecdotally seem to
occur with some regularity in a variety of climates. Most cases are benign, but a
small subset of patients can develop complications including infection, hearing loss,
and vestibular complaints related to the foreign body. In the emergency department
or clinic, removal of the insect is a simple procedure in most circumstances; however,
the material and expertise required for backcountry removal of the insect are often
limited. With this consideration in mind, we offer a conservative approach to backcountry
insect removal based on a selective review of the published literature on this topic.
Where published data are lacking, we make recommendations based on anecdotal experience
of the authors dealing with this condition in austere environments and in the emergency
department. We recommend insect removal only if the patient is acutely symptomatic
and the insect is visualized and graspable with the instrument used for removal. In
any other circumstance, intervention should be deferred until definitive care is reached
because of risks of complications associated with removal, including infection, bleeding,
and tympanic membrane damage.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 26, 2022
Accepted:
March 21,
2022
Received:
April 5,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
