Aural foreign body removal: there is no one-size-fits-all method

BACKGROUND: Managing patients with aural foreign body (AFB) may pose a dilemma regarding which removal technique to use for different AFB types. The current study comprises a review of all the possible methods one could employ in removing AFB. My aim was to describe the best methods for different types of AFBs, complete with a description of the method and tool(s) required, and descriptions of the AFBs for which they are best used. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical literature published between 2000 and 2016 was reviewed using Medline, Cinahl, Embase, Cochrane, PubMed, and Scopus to compile a list of all published AFB removal methods. RESULTS: Ten methods were identified and described, each having their own advantages for different AFBs. Patients normally permit very few attempts, so the first AFB removal attempt should ideally be the only one. CONCLUSION: There is no single method guaranteed to work with all AFBs, so this report also contains a flowchart to aid deciding which technique to use.