INSECTICIDAL
ACTIVITY OF COMMON REAGENTS FOR INSECT FOREIGN BODIES OF THE EAR.
Antonelli
PJ, Ahmadi A, Prevatt A. Laryngoscope 2001 Jan;111(1):15-20.
OBJECTIVE:
Insects commonly present as painful and distressing foreign bodies of the
external ear canal. Removing live insects can be challenging, especially for
primary care physicians who have limited equipment. The purpose of this study
is to compare the insecticidal activity of commonly available preparations for
insects that are most frequently recovered from ear canals: cockroaches (German
and American), ticks, beetles, and honeybees.
STUDY
DESIGN: Prospective, blinded.
METHODS:
One hundred seventy insects of each species were placed in test tubes and
submerged in 17 test preparations (10 tubes per preparation, 1 insect per test
tube). Insect activity was stimulated by agitation of the test tube. Responses
were monitored, and the time until death was measured.
RESULTS:
Most test preparations exhibited some insecticidal activity against most insect
species. Ticks were completely resistant to all of the test reagents. Ethanol
killed the American cockroaches (mean time, 32.6 s), German cockroaches (mean
time, 29.6 s), and honeybees (mean time, 19.6 s) the most rapidly.
CONCLUSION:
Many commonly available reagents may be used to kill or immobilize insect
foreign bodies of the ear.
COMMENTS: Cockroaches may survive a nuclear winter, but those damn ticks just
won’t go away!