The Department of Biochemistry of Kırıkkale University, Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale-Turkey Background: Cerumen impactions are more common with advancing age.
Objective: To compare the efficacy of Earex, Waxsol, Xerumenex, a 6% solution of hydrogen peroxide in glycerin, a 10% solution of aqueous sodium bicarbonate preparations and distilled water for producing disintegration of the cerumen plugs collected from elderly patients.
Method: Fresh samples of cerumen were obtained from ear canals of 32 elderly patients. Equal parts of the same piece of the cerumen plug weighed 100 mg were placed into the preparations. The degree of disintegration was observed at specific time intervals for up to five days.
Results: Complete disintegration only occurred with hydrogen peroxide 6% in glycerin within one hour. Cerumen plug in both Waxsol and aqueous sodium bicarbonate solution 10% were observed to be substantially disintegrated. We noticed that Earex and Xerumenex had almost no effect on cerumen plug disintegration.
Conclusion: The 6% solution of hydrogen peroxide in glycerin appears to be the most effective ceruminolytic preparation for producing disintegration of the cerumen plugs collected from elderly patients among the five ceruminolytics used in this in vitro study.
Keywords : cerumen plug, ceruminolytic, hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, sodium bicarbonate