title: Effect of cotton-tipped swab use on ear-wax occlusion.
abstract: We studied parents' and patients' approach to earwax (cerumen) removal, patients' level of cerumen occlusion, and the association between the use of cotton-tipped swabs (CTS) and cerumen occlusion. Six hundred fifty-one consecutive patients from the general pediatric practice of the Cleveland Clinic aged 2 weeks to 20 years (57% males) answered a questionnaire with their parents' help. Of the 651, 401 (62%) had used CTS during the 2 months before the study. Examiners unaware of the questionnaire results found that 46 (7%) of both right and left ear canals were at least 75% occluded by cerumen. Cerumen occlusion of at least 75% was associated with CTS use on the left side (P = .02), but not on the right side (P = .27). We conclude that cotton-tipped swab use may be associated with cerumen accumulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44195.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Macknin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Talo
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Medendrop
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002571:Cerumen; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004424:Ear Canal; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D003368:Gossypium / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires