[Foreign bodies in the airways in children]

From 1984 to 1998 we treated 22 children (15 male, 7 female) with aspirated foreign bodies in their tracheobronchial tree. Most patients (17/22, 77%) were aged up to 3 years (two children were seven months old). Only 12 (54%) patients had history of aspiration. Most common clinical findings were prolonged expiration and impaired respiration on one side (12 patients, 54%) or impaired respiration on one side (7 patients, 32%). Chest x-rays mostly showed one-sided hyperinflation (64% of cases). 50% of children aspirated walnut into their airways. Foreign bodies in most children were installed tracheobronchially on the left and right side and in one child the foreign body was found in the larynx. The foreign bodies were successfully removed in 19 (85%) patients. In three children foreign bodies were not found on time, bronchial obliteration occurred, so pulmectomy of the left lung, lobectomy of the left lower lobe, or bilobectomy (lower and middle right lobe) had to be done.