drchekmate

Regular ER Dr here:

• Cockroach (ear)
• Screw (ear)
• Marble (nose and ear) - many times
• Toothpick (nose)
• Beads (nose and ear) - many times

Cockroach was the worst, difficult too, it kept falling apart when I would grab it. Marbles and Beads are kinda fun, the way they launch out sometimes.

If they're in the nose, and it's a child, you close the non-occluded nostril, wait until the child takes a deep breath (usually mid-crying) and have the parent, mouth to mouth style, blow a breath into their mouth, causing the pressure to shoot the marble out the child's nose. Oftentimes with a large glob of snot, which hits the parent in the face. Marble goes bouncing around the room. That's the fun way.

Usually, though, first, we shoot some Afrin up there to vasoconstrict and reduce the inflammation, and it 'll often just fall out. Sometimes, if their's space around the object, you can thread a balloon catheter, like a foley, behind it, inflate it, and pull it out.

Do you think, in general, US doctors get paid too much?

As a physician, I sometimes feels I'm overpaid, but alternatively, I did spend 8 years after college racking up large amounts of debt and not saving.

What do you think of the excessive cost of end of life care, ICU stays in the elderly, etc?

I often see the ICU being abused for excessive length of stays for people who, essentially, have no hope of a quality life, or those 90+ years old. I think that, DNR status should be default at 75 years old, and should be opted out of, as opposed to vice versa, where I'm obligated to intubate and provide highly aggressive care to every demented nursing home patient that comes through the door.

They crawl into people's ears face first when they sleep or something, and then can't back themselves out, or don't want to. Drown them in oil and then pluck them out, but the oil makes them soft and sometimes mushy, and they come out in pieces.