Letter to Editor | DOI: https://doi.org/10.31579/2692-9562/046
1 Department of ENT, Walsall Manor Hospital, Walsall, UK.
2 Walsall Manor Hospital, ENT Department, Walsall, UK.
*Corresponding Author: Waqas Jamil. ENT department Walsall Manor Hospital, Moat Road, Walsall, WS2 9PS, Walsall, UK.
Citation: Waqas Jamil (2022) Risk of self-Injury by Patients using Video Otoendoscopes Aimed at home Market. J. Clinical Otorhinolaryngology 4(1); DOI: 10.31579/2692-9562/046
Copyright: © 2022 Waqas Jamil. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Received: 21 December 2021 | Accepted: 25 December 2021 | Published: 03 January 2022
Keywords: self-injury; patients; video otoendoscopes; home market; ear
Abstact
We have recently become aware of new small (2.2mm to 5.5mm) ear wax removal endoscopes (similar to otoendoscopes) aimed at the home market (See Figure 1).
Figure 1: Showing home ear wax removal kit
These are powered by USB attachments and can be viewed on mobile phones or home PCs. They are targeted at the home market for examination of ears, nose, and mouths and even some sellers advocate using their use on pets too. They often come with attachments to allow ear cleaning of waand removal of foreign bodies etc. These are available on various online seller websites and can cost as little as £11.
These have been available for purchase for a few years, but we were not aware of them until we started having some patients attend our emergency ENT clinic recently having damaged their ear canals with them during use. In one case, a child presented with extensive abrasions/laceration of the ear canal after her mother attempted to clean wax from the child’s ears.
Similarly, looking at the customer reviews on these online seller websites, other buyers have reported harm using these devices i.e.
bleeding from the ear, pushing ear wax further in the ear canal and resulting in hearing loss [1,2].
Having purchased one of these items for home research, we found the otoendoscope unwieldy and it was difficult to gain a good image. Also with mono-ocular vision, there is no depth perception, consequently this may increase the risk of self-injury for new/untrained users.
Whilst such devices may well be helpful in the current COVID crisis and could be used for telemedicine to help with distant patient examination during lockdowns [3,4], we would like to highlight the potential dangers of the use of these items by the public.
No financial disclosure.
None to declare.
Dear Editorial Team, Clinical Medical Reviews and Reports. My experience with the journal was highly positive. The peer-review process was rigorous, constructive, and completed in a timely manner. The reviewers provided valuable comments that helped improve the quality and clarity of our manuscript. The editorial office was professional, responsive, and supportive throughout all stages of the publication process. Communication was clear and efficient, and any questions were addressed promptly. Overall, I found the journal to maintain high scientific standards and an excellent publication workflow. I would be pleased to consider submitting future work to this journal. Best wishes from, Elena Popa.
It was my pleasure to submit my testimonial concerning the Reviewer Board of our Scientific Journal “Brain and Neurological Disorders”. The Reviewers focused on some modifications and their contribution was helpful. The ladies of our Editorial Office were also supported my efforts. It was my honor to have such a co-operation and I am looking forward for more collaboration.
Dear Grace Pierce, Editorial Coordinator of Journal of Clinical Research and Reports, Thank you for the speedy and efficient peer review process. I appreciate the fact that your peer reviewers do not take months to respond like with some other journals. I would also like to thank the editorial office for responding quickly to my questions. It is an excellent journal. I plan to submit more manuscripts in the future. Best wishes from, Robert W. McGee
Dear Grace Pierce, Editorial Coordinator of Journal of Clinical Research and Reports, Working with you and your team on our recent publication in JCRR has been a truly wonderful and enjoyable experience. The responses were prompt, and the reviewers were patient, constructive, and highly professional. One reviewer in particular gave me the feeling that a professor was carefully reading and commenting on my coursework, which was deeply touching. The entire process was straightforward and hassle‑free, with no tedious online forms to complete. I highly recommend this journal. Best wishes from, DR Aibing Rao, Head of R&D
I Appreciate the Opportunity to Share my Experience with the Journal of Clinical Research and Reports. The peer review process was timely and constructive, and the feedback provided helped improve the quality of our manuscript. The editorial office was professional, responsive, and supportive throughout the process, ensuring smooth communication and efficient handling of the submission. Overall, it was a positive experience collaborating with your team.
Dear Mercy Grace, Editorial Coordinator of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, We would like to express our gratitude for your help at all stages of publishing and editing the article. The editors of the magazine answer all the necessary questions and help at every stage. We will definitely continue to cooperate and publish other works in the Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences! Best wishes from, Alla Konstantinovna Politova,
