Foreign Body Removal and Treatment
If you get a splinter in your finger or toe, you can likely remove it at home. However, some foreign objects cannot be safely removed without help from a medical professional. If you try to remove these objects yourself, you can cause severe complications. When that’s the case, you can visit one of the five Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care locations throughout Hamilton County for treatment. Our ER-trained staff will assess the injury and safely remove the foreign body for you.
Go to the ER or Call 911 With These Symptoms
Consider the situation before deciding if you should remove the object at home or go to the ER. If you can easily reach and remove the foreign body and it isn’t in a sensitive area such as your eye or ear, you can handle it yourself. However, visit Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care if:
- You have an object in your eye or ear.
- The foreign body is beyond your reach.
- The foreign body is a result of a traumatic injury.
- The object is in your throat, creating a choking hazard.
- You have a wound or laceration that requires medical attention.
Foreign objects are most likely to create a choking hazard in children. If your child is having trouble breathing, call 911. While waiting for a connection, have your child try to cough. A forceful cough might remove the object. If that doesn’t work, the 911 dispatcher might have you use the “five-and-five approach” to dislodge the object. You will perform five:
- Back blows
- Abdominal thrusts
Then, you will alternate between back blows and abdominal thrusts to dislodge the object. Even if it’s removed, you should still take your son or daughter to the emergency room for an evaluation. Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care has a pediatrics team specially trained to treat children with medical emergencies.
Foreign Body Removal
When you arrive at the emergency room, your provider will evaluate your condition to determine how to remove the foreign body. If the object is stuck on the outside of your body, the doctor can remove it with:
- Forceps
- Water irrigation
- Suction catheter
Sometimes, foreign objects are swallowed, meaning they cannot be removed with forceps. When that’s the case, your provider might recommend foreign body surgery. Both laparoscopic and open surgery are options. Laparoscopic surgery has a shorter recovery time, and you can likely leave the hospital the same day. However, you will need to stay a day or two if you have open surgery. Your provider will discuss this with you when going over the foreign body removal options.
Whether the foreign object is in you or your child, you can’t help but worry. Fortunately, Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care is here to help. Visit one of our five locations for an immediate evaluation and treatment.
