A nurse who works at an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinic is approached by a neighbor who recently took up swimming as a hobby
The neighbor complains that she has a thick, foul-smelling fluid draining from her right ear and that she has been having difficulty hearing out of that ear for 2 days. The neighbor asks the nurse whether she should wait and let the condition resolve on its own or see a practitioner. Select the nurse's best response. a. "It sounds as if you might have otitis media. Warm compresses applied to the ex-ternal ear should help your problem."
b. "You should see your practitioner, because you could have an infection and need antibiotics."
c. "Irrigate your right ear with a solution of half hydrogen peroxide and half warm water to resolve this problem."
d. "The fluid could be caused by several different ear problems. You should see your practitioner if the symptoms do not resolve in a week."
B
The neighbor most likely has acute otitis externa, also known as swimmer's ear. The thick, foul-smelling drainage indicates that an infection may have developed that requires administra-tion of antibiotics.
The neighbor's symptoms correlate with otitis externa, which is a bacterial infection best treated with cleaning and topical antimicrobials. Warm compresses would not be effective in treating the underlying cause.
Self-treatment with homemade ear drops should be avoided.
Although the fluid could be caused by several different problems, the neighbor demonstrates evidence of infection and should not wait a week to seek health care.
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