Make ear irrigations less traumatic
When irrigating a child's ear, try using the tubing of a butterfly needle, recommends Judy Selfridge-Thomas, RN, MSN, CEN, FNP, nurse practitioner in the ED at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. Cut the tubing about 1-1.5 inches from the end, so that the syringe connecting hub is attached. Then attach a 10-20 cc syringe filled with warm water into the hub. Insert the tubing into the child's ear and gently irrigate. "The tubing is soft and less irritating to the child's ear canal, making the procedure a little less traumatic," she notes.
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