Nasal foreign body removal

Patients with nasal foreign bodies often present to the Emergency Department (ED) for removal. In most cases, successful removal can be performed by the Emergency Physician (EP) using a variety of simple techniques. The EP should be familiar with multiple procedural techniques as a significant number of patients will require multiple attempts and techniques for removal of the nasal foreign body. This article reviews the more common techniques for removal, and provides specific technical tips, indications and contraindications for each technique.