28th October 2020

A 57-year-old gentleman complains of otalgia, otorrhea and hearing loss of the right ear for the past week

A 57-year-old gentleman complains of otalgia, otorrhea and hearing loss of the right ear for the past week. He admits to a history of self-digging with cotton tips. There was tenderness of the tragus and auricle during the otoscopy, along with an erythematous and edematous external ear canal that was filled with debris.

Select the SINGLE most appropriate investigative step from the list below. Select ONE option only.