Wandering airway foreign body in early infancy

Abstract

Accidental impaction of objects in the respiratory passage is a life-threatening condition. A 9-month-old male infant was admitted with fever, cough and respiratory distress without history of choking. He was treated as wheezy bronchitis with appropriate therapy but, did not show response. HRCT showed an impacted foreign body in the trachea which caused a partial luminal compromise. Two attempts to remove foreign body by rigid bronchoscope failed, and tracheostomy was performed due to fall in oxygen saturation. After stabilization, again saturation was falling and air entry was absent on right hemithorax. Considering the possibility of movement of foreign body in right bronchus, bronchoscope was reintroduced and foreign body was removed in piecemeal. This process was complicated with cardiorespiratory arrest, twice from which the patient was revived. Postoperative period was uneventful. So, high index of suspicion is required to diagnose such a foreign body of the tracheobronchial tree to prevent morbidity and mortality.