Foreign Body Removal

Children can be unpredictable – and it’s not uncommon for parents to come into our urgent care clinic panicked about a foreign object that was put up their child’s nose or in their ear. At Care+ Pediatrics Urgent Care, we want you to rest assured that any objects your child puts into their bodies can and will be removed with the utmost care. If it is an object we are not able to remove in our clinic, we will refer you to the appropriate specialist to have it removed as soon as possible.

What is a Foreign Body?

A “foreign body” is any object in the body that does not belong in the body. While a foreign body can be any household object, some of the most common foreign bodies we see at our clinic include:

  • Small toys or toy parts
  • Coins
  • Pieces of food like peas, nuts, and corn
  • Bugs
  • Buttons
  • Beads

Foreign bodies usually do not pose a threat to your child’s health and well-being. We are able to treat most foreign bodies in our clinic. However, if you find that your child has swallowed a battery or a magnet, go immediately to the nearest emergency room. If your child is having difficulty breathing, call 911.

Swallowed Foreign Bodies

If your child has swallowed something they weren’t supposed to, there’s not always a reason to panic right away. The first and most important step to determining your next course of action is locating the object your child has swallowed. To do this, we are happy to provide digital X-ray imaging on-site, which can give our pediatric providers a fuller perspective of what your child has swallowed and where in the digestive tract the object is.

If the foreign object your child has swallowed is determined to not be a threat, our pediatric providers may recommend your child pass the object naturally through their bowels. We may ask that you monitor your child’s stool for the next several days to ensure the foreign body is naturally removed from the body. If the foreign object that your child swallowed is a threat to their health and well-being, we will recommend you go directly to the emergency room.

Doctor checking child mouth for foreign body

Get Care Now

Request an Appointment

Call Us Now - (405) 876-7876

Foreign Body Removal from the Nose

Do you suspect your child has a foreign body in their nose, but aren’t sure? Some common signs your child may have a foreign body in their nose include:

  • Chronic sinus infections over weeks or months on one side of the nose
  • Bad smelling discharge coming from one side of the nose
  • Consistent congestion on one side of the nose

More often than not, the foreign body in the child’s nose can be removed with the use of a few tools. For this type of procedure, we will not need to use anesthesia or any surgical methods. Instead, our pediatric providers may ask that you hold your child’s hand while we identify and retrieve the foreign body from your child’s nose.

Foreign Body Removal from the Ear

Not sure whether your child has a foreign body in their ear? Common signs that there may be something in your child’s ear that shouldn’t be there are:

  • Discharge from the ear
  • Child complaining of pain in the ear

Generally, removal of a foreign body from the ear is simple and does not require anesthesia. Our expert pediatric providers will instead use a steady hand and a few tools to identify and remove the foreign body from the ear or ear canal. This procedure usually is not painful for your child at all. We may ask that you hold your child’s hand to keep them comfortable throughout this procedure. If we are unable to remove the foreign body, we will refer you to an ear specialist to have it removed as soon as possible.

Pediatric Urgent Care in OKC

If you suspect that your child has a foreign body in their ear, nose, or digestive tract, look no further than Care+ Pediatrics Urgent Care in Oklahoma City – just stop on by. You can also use our appointment scheduler if you prefer.

Get Care Now

Request an Appointment

Call Us Now - (405) 876-7876