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This case report details the unusual occurrence of a live ant invading the middle ear cavity through a pre-existing perforation in the tympanic membrane of a 42-year-old female patient. She presented to an outpatient clinic with symptoms of sudden-onset tinnitus ("ringing") and a foreign body sensation in her left ear. Otomicroscopy revealed an oval-shaped perforation in the posterior part of the left tympanic membrane, through which a dark, moving foreign object was observed in the middle ear. The object was identified as a live ant. Initial attempts to remove the insect under local anesthesia were unsuccessful, necessitating the patient's admission for surgery. Under general anesthesia, an endoscopic tympanotomy was performed, and the ant was successfully removed without complications. The patient recovered and was discharged the following day. At her follow-up appointment, she remained symptom-free. This case highlights the rare yet possible occurrence of live foreign bodies entering the middle ear through tympanic perforations and the need for timely surgical intervention to prevent complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative‐pressure‐wound‐therapy is commonly used in clinical routine for wound management. Aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility and safety of using an additional container to collect wound fluid during ongoing negative‐pressure‐wound‐therapy. In this present prospective observational study, patients with negative‐pressure‐wound‐therapy were included. An additional container was inserted in the connecting tube between the wound and the vacuum generating device. The following 3 days, the container was changed daily and replaced by a new one. Further safety outcome parameters were assessed. A questionnaire was answered by the responsible surgeon. Twenty‐two patients with negative‐pressure‐wound‐therapy with a median (IQR) age of 58.5 (53.0‐70.0) years were included in the present study. In median, the duration of negative‐pressure‐wound‐therapy was 5.0 (4.6‐5.5) days. In mean ± SD the collected volume of the wound fluid in millilitres (mL) was on day one 7 ± 4 on day two 8 ± 7 and 10 ± 11 on day three. In one patient, there was <0.1 mL of clear water in the additional container. No safety concerns due to the additional container were observed. This study demonstrates that collecting wound fluid during ongoing negative‐pressure‐wound‐therapy over a time period of 3 days is feasible and safe. No safety concerns were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]