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Foreign body aspiration: a four-years experience.
Volkan Erikçi1, Safak Karaçay, Ahmet Arikan
1SSK Tepecik Hospital, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Izmir, Turkey. verikci@yahoo.com
Summary
Prompt bronchoscopy is crucial for diagnosing airway foreign bodies (FB) in children. While chest X-rays are often inconclusive, clinical symptoms like wheezing warrant immediate endoscopic evaluation for FB removal.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Pulmonology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Airway foreign bodies (FB) pose a significant risk to children, necessitating rapid intervention.
- Timely removal of airway FB is critical for preventing serious complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the clinical experience with suspected airway foreign bodies in pediatric patients.
- To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of imaging and the efficacy of bronchoscopy for FB removal.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 189 children undergoing bronchoscopy for suspected airway FB between 1997 and 2001.
- Data collected included patient presentation, bronchoscopy findings, and post-procedure outcomes.
Main Results:
- Foreign bodies were identified in 67.2% of cases, most commonly in the right mainstem bronchus.
- Radiopaque foreign bodies were infrequent; pips and hazelnuts were the most common items.
- Bronchoscopy revealed a low complication rate, with transient symptoms like stridor or fever in 79.9% of patients post-procedure.
Conclusions:
- Chest radiographs are unreliable for diagnosing airway FB in children.
- Children presenting with a history of choking or oral foreign body ingestion and subsequent respiratory symptoms (wheezing) require prompt bronchoscopy.
- Bronchoscopy is a safe and effective procedure for the diagnosis and removal of airway foreign bodies in pediatric patients.