There are different types of Foreign objects that you may need to treat in the field including eyes, ears, and embedded/penetrative wounds. For this pro-tip we will cover eye and ear complaints that you may face and our next pro-tip will cover the embedded/penetrative wound treatment.

 

Foreign Object in the Eye:

Dust/Grit/Eyelash/Insect

• Flush the eye using clean water (if you are out in the bush – best to use water from a water bottle instead of a stream or creek).
• Tilt the head back
• Rinse the eye (use a sport water bottle with a push top or an eye drop bottle).

If there is an object that is protruding out of the eye (e.g. glass or a stick) please refer to our next pro-tip on how to treat it.

 

Chemical Burn

If a chemical has been introduced to the eye it should be treated as a serious medical problem.

• Remove any contact lenses (these will hold the chemical in and cause greater problems if they are not removed quickly)
• Rinse with flowing water for 15 -20 minutes.
• Cover the eye with a patch
• Seek further medical assistance, pain is not an indicator of damage with eyes unfortunately, so it is best to seek immediate medical support for any chemical burns. Be sure to find out what chemical it was that they got in their eyes as this may effect the treatment they receive.

 

Pepper Spray

In the event of pepper spray be sure to flush the eyes thoroughly if available use LAW mix (50% Liquid antacid and 50% Water) as it has been shown to be more effective than other treatments such as water and milk.

• Get the person to lay down/lean back
• Ask them to remove any contacts they may be wearing as this traps the pepper spray
• Rinse their face first quickly with water to remove residue that may be sweated/rubbed back into the eyes after treatment
• Using a spray bottle/sports bottle flush the eye from the tear duct outwards. You may need to hold their eyes open for them.
• If using LAW mix be sure to advise the person that they will only see whiteness for 30seconds and then their vision should return.

 

Foreign Objects in the Ear:

Insect

If you find that an insect has gone into your ear DO NOT try to pull it out with tweezers or stick your finger in your ear. As it is an unknown insect you do not want to make it sting/bite you.

• Turn the head so that the ear with the insect in it is facing upwards

**If the insect doesn’t leave itself at this point in time**

• Pour some (warm if possible) oil into the ear (if oil isn’t available you can try to this with water), this should cause the insect to float out of the ear.

***If the insect does not come out of the ear once it has been flushed with the oil, seek medical attention***

 

Object in the Ear

If the object is in the outer canal (protruding from the ear) you may try to remove the object with Tweezers (do not use your fingers)

If the object is a fair way into the ear, or the depth of the object is unknown, seek medical attention before trying to remove the object.