Tracheobronchial foreign bodies

[corrected] Foreign body inhalation is an extremely serious problem in children and sometimes result in sudden death. The current mortality rate from foreign body inhalation is between 0% and 1.8% according to various studies. In spite of this, undiagnosed and unsuspected foreign bodies still occur in the airway.

Pediatric patients with documented foreign body inhalation, treated in the Department of Pediatrics, Bapuji Hospital, JJM Medical College during 1997-2000 are included in the analysis. Children with or without positive history of aspiration were examined and the diagnosis was made on the basis of history, clinical findings, radilogic evaluation and strong index of suspicion in those children where reasonable appropriate treatment failed to resolve the respiratory symptoms. Bronchoscopy was performed for a suspected foreign body on 165 children.

A review of 165 pediatric cases of suspected foreign body aspiration revealed, children between 1 and 3 years were found to be very vulnerable for aspiration. Majority of children were boys. Over 70% of the patients had positive history of inhalation. Only 60% of the patients presented immediately, that is within 24 hours after aspiration. Common symptoms were cough and respiratory distress. Physical examination showed abnormal finding in 91% of cases. Decreased air entry was the significant clinical sign. Obstructive emphysema was found in majority of the cases (49.5%). Rigid bronchoscopy under general anaesthesia was the preferred method for removal of aspirated foreign body. In 65 (61.9%) cases foreign body was lodged in the right main bronchus and majority of these were organic in nature, that is 96 (91.43%).

Tracheobronchial foreign bodies should be strongly suspected in pediatric age group who present with a suggestive history, even when physical and radiographic evidence is absent. The modalities of diagnosis, management and outcome are discussed.