eardrop instillation, the instillation of a medicated solution into the external auditory canal of the ear. The patient is asked to turn the head to the side so that the ear being treated faces upward. The orifice is exposed, and the drops of medicine are directed toward the internal wall of the canal. The pinna is pulled upward and outward in a person more than 3 years of age and down and back in a younger child. The tragus is pushed against the ear canal to ensure that the drops stay in the canal.
