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.