What Did Americans Stick into Their Ear, Nose, Throat in Last Year?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) maintains a database of injuries due to consumer products for which a patient ends up in the emergency room. Such injuries include sticking it into a body orifice for which the product was never meant to go either through self-infliction or by some other individual.

Although more interest may be generated in orifices related to proctology, urology, and gynecology, given this IS an ENT blog, we'll just stick with the ear, nose, and throat. The form to search the CPSC database can be found here.

SO... Without further ado, here is a partial sampling for 2015 according to the CPSC:

Ear

• Earring
• Earring backings
• Hair clip
• Plastic BB gun pellet
• Paper and an eraser
• Deflated balloon
• Dog's paw
• Beetle
• Hairpin
• "Placed toilet paper in ear so wouldn't have to hear neighbors"
• Chess Piece
• Plastic drinking straw
• "Crayon stuck in ear for 2 weeks"
• Paper napkins
• Gasoline
• End of shoelace
• Wood stick
• Hair band
• Ball from eyebrow ring
• Bead
• Fake diamond

Nose

• Pebble from the fish tank
• Egg dye tablet
• Baby wipe
• "Stuck a raisin up his right nostril, brother tried to remove tweezers"
• Plastic hearts in each nostril
• "Was laying on his back at school when an eraser fell into his nostril"
• Mini hockey sticks
• Plastic snake
• Magnets up each nostril
• Stove pellet

Throat

• Ruler
• Dog shampoo
• Straw
• Sequins
• Branch
• Stale cake
• "Inhaled a wasp while jogging"
• Asthma inhaler
• Paint-stirring stick
• "Eating club sandwich and part of toothpick broke off, he swallowed it, scratched in throat, but able to finish the sandwich"
• Glow sticks
• "Was opening bottle of soda with his teeth and bottle cap fell down his throat"
• Hoop earring
• Blow dart
• Canadian quarter
• "Accidentally swallowed a pill bottle when taking his medication"

Of course, if only the database included patients seen in an ENT clinic, there would be an even longer and more varied list...