[Foreign bodies in the lower respiratory tract--experience based on material gathered in the ENT Department of Kalisz...

Between 1984 and 2001, 33 patients were treated because of foreign bodies in their lower respiratory tract. The age of patients ranged from 0 to 74 years, but the most numerous group was children between 0 and 5 years--16 cases and between 6 and 15 years--9 cases. The most often met foreign bodies were: organic--17 cases, metal bodies 7, plastic 7. We found proliferous changes in 2 patients. In all cases foreign bodies were removed by means of rigid bronchoscopy. In 30 cases they were treated within 48 hours. Only in one case, a ring, retained for 6 weeks. We didn't have any complications.