Foreign body in tracheobronchial tree

Abstract

Foreign body inhalation into the tracheobronchial tree can prove to be a life threatening unless timely intervened and appropriate steps are being taken towards its management [1]. A review of 32 cases was done at MP Shah Medical College Jamnagar over a period of 2 years. Children were most susceptible to aspiration of foreign bodies. All the cases were selected on the basis of detailed clinical history, clinical features, and radiological findings. The cases which had a strong index of suspicion without any positive clinical history were also subjected to rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. Maximum number of cases was in the age group of 1 to 3 years (62.5%). The minimum age group ranging from 6 months to maximum 8 years. The time of presentation of the patients varied from within 24 hours to upto 6 months. Only four patients presented within 24 hours. The maximum presenting period was within 1 week. Organic foreign bodies were most common presentation (groundnut). Other foreign bodies were grains, seeds, ball pen cap, stones and slate pencil. Definite history of inhalation was available only in 19 cases with symptoms of choking, breathlessness, cough and recurrent upper respiratory tract infection. Right main bronchus was found to be most common site of impaction (52%) followed by left main bronchus (32%) and tracheal foreign body (16%).

Foreign Body Aspiration in Northern Ghana: A Review of Pediatric Patients

“…The most common foreign bodies encountered included groundnuts, metallic objects, seeds, fishbone, plastic objects, grains, and cartilage. Our findings are consistent with other published series [ 4 , 10 , 11 , 18 , 21 ]. Groundnuts were the most commonly aspirated foreign body in our study because most parents and guardians of such children were either farming or trading in groundnuts.…”

A single-center experience of pediatric foreign-body aspiration: A retrospective 4-year case series

“…This could be explained by higher activity levels in boys than girls. [ 3 ] In this study, 55.8% of the patients were male, which was in accordance with previous findings in literature.…”

“…Although FBA can be seen at any age, it is more common in early childhood up to the age of 3 years, at the time when children tend to place all objects in the mouth, or accidental ingestion may occur when playing. [ 3 ] In this period, when children tend to place objects in the mouth, the risk of aspiration is increased as the molar teeth are not fully formed, and they have generally had not sufficient training in eating. Actions such as laughing, crying, or running while eating also lead to a higher risk of aspiration.…”

Paediatric Foreign Body Aspiration in Rural India

“…In our series 70% gave a positive history of foreign body aspiration compared to 80% in a study by Sinha. [11] In our study, the most common symptoms were cough and breathlessness. This might be attributed to the superadded lower respiratory tract infection, these children developed subsequent to foreign body aspiration.…”