“Son has Lego stuck in nose. Do we need to go to the ER?”
My 4-year-old son has a Lego stuck in his nose. Should we take him to the ER for this? What do we do?
6 Answers
yes
You can try this first, and if it doesn't work, then take him to the ER. Put one of your fingers on the nostril that does not have the Lego in it. Have him take a deep breath and blow his nose. If he has trouble with this, you can tell him you are going to give him a kiss, then put someone's finger over the unaffected nostril, take a deep breath, and give him an open mouth kiss. Make sure your lips are sealed with his, then blow. If it moves enough that you can grab with forceps, then do so gently. If that doesn't work, go to the ER.
It depends on the location of it. Usually if he is breathing normally you can squeeze the good nostril and have him blow the nose. Also you can mouth blow on him with the good side occluded. Usually this will dislodge the object forward. If this measures don’t help go to the ER. If he has breathing issues call 911.
Yes. Nasal foreign bodies can get infected and need to be removed
Try this first: Gently close off the non-Lego nostril with a finger or thumb, then place your mouth over his and quickly blow a puff of air into his mouth--just like in rescue breathing. In many cases, the foreign object will be blown out the nostril and trip to the ER averted. If this does not work--and given its hard corners and geometry, might not, then unfortunately, yes, either your pediatrician (if day time), or the ER so the item can be retrieved.
Yes. Right away. Don’t want it to fall back and god forbid aspirate it.
Ari Goldsmith
Ari Goldsmith
