Is this your child’s symptom

• Injuries to the outer ear, ear canal or eardrum

Types of Ear Injuries

• Cut or Scratch. Most cuts of the outer ear do not need sutures.
• Bruise. Most bruises of the outer ear just leave a purple mark. They heal on their own.
• Blood Clot Serious. Most of the outer ear is made of cartilage. A large blood clot hematoma can cut off the blood supply to the cartilage. It needs to be drained. If not, the ear may become deformed boxer’s ear.
• Ear Canal Bleeding. Most are due to a scratch of ear canal. This can be caused by cotton swab, fingernail, or ear exam. Most stop bleeding on their own. Persistent bleeding needs to be seen.
• Punctured Eardrum. Most are due to long-pointed objects put in the ear canal. Examples are cotton swabs, pencils, sticks, straws, or wires.
• Loss of Hearing Serious. Caused by blunt trauma, such as a slap to the ear. Also, caused by explosions.

Call Doctor Now or Go to ER

• Skin is split open or gaping and may need stitches
• Upper part of the ear is very swollen
• Pointed object was put into the ear canal
• Clear fluid is draining from the ear canal
• Walking is not steady
• Severe pain and not improved 2 hours after taking pain medicine
• Age under 1 year old
• You think your child has a serious injury
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Call Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Few drops of blood in the ear canal. Caused by a minor injury, cotton swab Q-tip or ear exam.
• Injury causes an earache or crying lasts more than 30 minutes
• Hearing is less on injured side
• You think your child needs to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Call Doctor During Office Hours

• Dirty cut and no tetanus shot in over 5 years
• Clean cut and no tetanus shot in over 10 years
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Minor ear injury

Care Advice for Minor Ear Injuries

1. Bleeding – How To Stop:
   • For any bleeding, put direct pressure on the wound.
   • Use a gauze pad or clean cloth.
   • Press for 10 minutes or until the bleeding has stopped.
2. Clean the Wound:
   • Wash the wound with soap and water for 5 minutes.
3. Antibiotic Ointment:
   • For cuts and scrapes, use an antibiotic ointment such as Polysporin. No prescription is needed.
   • Put it on the cut 3 times a day.
   • Do this for 3 days.
   • Cover large scrapes with a bandage such as Band-Aid. Change daily.
4. Pain Medicine:
   • To help with the pain, give an acetaminophen product such as Tylenol.
   • Another choice is an ibuprofen product such as Advil.
   • Use as needed.
5. What to Expect:
   • Minor ear wounds heal quickly.
   • Most often, cuts and scrapes heal in 2 or 3 days.
6. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Pain gets severe
   • You think your child needs to be seen
   • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the ‘Call Your Doctor’ symptoms.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.

Copyright 1994-2015 Barton D. Schmitt, MD. All rights reserved.