Foreign body aspiration in children – being safe and flexible

Abstract

Purpose of reviewAnesthesia for foreign body removal in children can be quite challenging. Even though rigid bronchoscopy is considered the gold standard for foreign body removal, there is increasing evidence for successful foreign body removal using flexible bronchoscopy. This review discusses the recent implications for flexible bronchoscopy for the purpose of foreign body removal and will compare these findings to rigid bronchoscopy.Recent findingsDuring the last few years, several observational studies on foreign body removal by flexible bronchoscopy have been published, with promising results.SummaryFlexible bronchoscopy is a feasible and safe method for removing aspirated foreign bodies in children. In order to improve patient safety during the procedure, it is necessary for a pediatric anesthetist and a pediatric pulmonologist to work closely together. The anesthetist can take care of the administration of the anesthetic and maintenance of the vital functions, and the pulmonologist can carry out a safe and fast bronchoscopy. In the case of foreign body removal by flexible bronchoscopy, the anesthesiological procedure of choice should be general anesthesia with controlled ventilation via a laryngeal mask.

A misdiagnosed laryngeal foreign body causing recurrent wheezing in a pediatric patient: Case report

“…The management of foreign bodies (FB) of the pediatric airway can be challenging. The clinical presentation may vary and, in case of recurrent respiratory symptoms without a clear clinical cause, the presence of a FB of the airway should be suspected 1 . We describe the case of a 13‐month‐old patient, weight 11 kg, with dysphonia and respiratory distress.…”

“…The clinical presentation may vary and, in case of recurrent respiratory symptoms without a clear clinical cause, the presence of a FB of the airway should be suspected. 1 We describe the case of a 13‐month‐old patient, weight 11 kg, with dysphonia and respiratory distress. The patient was admitted to a hospital with the diagnosis of “laryngospasm” and then discharged after medical therapy.…”

Foreign Bodies in Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology: A Review

“…Flexible bronchoscopy can also be a safe diagnostic and treatment procedure with minimal risks and complications [ 67 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 ]. It has been widely used as the method of choice to remove pediatric tracheobronchial FBs.…”