Introduction
The ENT Outpatient Desk (ENT OPD) is a basic and well-established
service given by the otolaryngology department. Patients with ear
disorders account for the majority of cases seen in the ENT OPD
[1]. Earache, hearing loss, ear discharge, ear fullness,
ear itch, and ear bleeding are the most frequent ear problems. Bilateral
ear wax is the most common complaint [2]. The pandemic has shaped
the dealing with the patients, but still minor procedures should be done
in OPD and surgeries in the operating room [3]. Ear suctioning
should ideally be performed in the OPD to remove ear discharge, wax, or
fungal debris, clean the ear canal, view the middle ear cleft, and allow
antibiotic drops to reach the infected area and act more effectively.
Suctioning is often required to clean the ear canal for establishing a
diagnosis or treatment since it is faster, permits direct visualization,
and does not expose the ear to moisture [4]. Therefore, ear
suctioning is an important part of patient management in ENT OPD. Ear
wax removal should be conducted in primary care, according to the
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance from
2018 [5]. As a result, this is a fundamental OPD procedure. Many
studies have suggested that micro suction should be performed in the
outpatient department, with adequate funding, to aid in the
international transition away from a hospital-centric model and toward
primary care services. [4,6].
Micro suction toilet of debris from the ear canal is a commonly
performed procedure within the ENT outpatient clinic as seen in
[7,8]. However, in many clinical settings, it is not done in the
outpatient department. A tertiary care hospital should take the lead in
providing high-quality care to its patients. However, despite a larger
frequency of OPD patients requiring treatment, why is it not done in OPD
should be addressed. Because there is no suction equipment in the ENT
OPD, these patients who require suctioning are referred to ENT Emergency
Room. This is a source of undue inconvenience for patients. This not
only poses a risk to patient safety, but it also has major financial
consequences, as well as a negative impact on patient satisfaction,
which is a key indicator of treatment quality. Patients’ schedules are
harmed by long wait times [9]. Lengthy outpatient waiting causes a
delay in treatment and suboptimal outcomes for newly referred patients
[10]. For newly referred patients, long outpatient wait times result
in therapy delays and poor outcomes. Furthermore, referrals for
microsuction have accounted for a major amount of the ENT burden in
tertiary care. Patients also encounter concerns such as access, which is
especially problematic for patients with mobility issues who rely on
caretakers, family, or hospital transportation to get to and from
appointments [11].
Aim and Objective : To determine the frequency/percentage of
patients presenting in the ENT OPD of a hospital [blinded for
review] with an ear problem that requires suctioning.