RT Book, Section
A1 Lustig, Lawrence R.
A1 Schindler, Joshua S.
A2 Papadakis, Maxine A.
A2 McPhee, Stephen J.
A2 Rabow, Michael W.
SR Print(0)
ID 1166163786
T1 Diseases of the Ear Canal
T2 Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2020
YR 2020
FD 2020
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9781260455281
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1166163786
RD 2022/05/20
AB Cerumen  is  a  protective  secretion  produced  by  the  outer  portion  of  the  ear  canal.  In  most  persons,  the  ear  canal  is  self-cleansing.  Recommended  hygiene  consists  of  cleaning  the  external  opening  only  with  a  washcloth  over  the  index  finger.  Cerumen  impaction  is  most  often  self-induced  through  ill-advised  cleansing  attempts  by  entering  the  canal  itself.  It  may  be  relieved  by  the  patient  using  detergent  ear  drops  (eg,  3%  hydrogen  peroxide;  6.5%  carbamide  peroxide)  and  irrigation,  or  by  the  clinician  using  mechanical  removal,  suction,  or  irrigation.  Irrigation  is  performed  with  water  at  body  temperature  to  avoid  a  vestibular  caloric  response.  The  stream  should  be  directed  at  the  posterior  ear  canal  wall  adjacent  to  the  cerumen  plug.  Irrigation  should  be  performed  only  when  the  tympanic  membrane  is  known  to  be  intact.