A matter of minors. Minor procedures in children.
BACKGROUND
Laceration repair and removal of foreign bodies from the nose or ear in children are common procedures in family practice. Smaller anatomy and larger emotional response to these procedures in children can make the task challenging for even the most experienced practitioners.


OBJECTIVE
This article revises some 'old tricks' and discusses some 'newer technologies' to aid the practitioner in dealing with these procedures.


CONCLUSIONS
Proper preparation of the child is vital for a successful and distress free procedure. Enlisting the aid of parents is usually, but not always, helpful. Physical and/or pharmacological restraint should be used judiciously and only in a safe environment. A variety of methods of wound repair and foreign object removal are available for use in a general practice setting. The choice of method should be matched to the individual circumstances.
Acworth
J
J
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. jasona@eol.ca
D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery*