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. T…

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Video of How Nasal Cauterization for Nosebleeds Is Performed (Silver Nitrate and Electric)

I made a nosebleed  video a few years ago that was roundly criticized for being poorly made. The biggest complaint was the loud background music. As such, I have made a new video that I feel addresses many of the shortcomings levied on the original video. I also added additional footage of what different types of nosebleeds look like as well as adding bipolar cauterization as another method of cautery other than silver nitrate . Check the new (upgraded) video ! There is another video …

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How Does Silver Nitrate Cauterize?

Silver nitrate is a chemical compound commonly used by ENT surgeons to stop nosebleeds as well as obliterate granulation tissue (found around tracheostomy stomas as well as intra-orally ). Medical silver nitrate is typically purchased as matchstick applicators and is usually found in combination with potassium nitrate (75% silver nitrate and 25% potassium nitrate). When this applicator is combined with water (moisture inside the nose or blood): AgNO3 + HOH  -->  AgOH + HNO3 Nitric…

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