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Complications of bronchoscopy for foreign body removal: experience in 1,035 cases

Leyla Hasdiraz1, Fahri Oguzkaya, Mehmet Bilgin

  • 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Erciyes University Medical Faculty, 38039 Kayseri, Turkey.

Annals of Saudi Medicine
|August 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Bronchoscopy for childhood foreign body aspiration can lead to serious complications, including airway obstruction and death. Awareness of these risks and careful precautions are crucial for patient safety during and after the procedure.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Pediatric Critical Care

Background:

  • Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration is a life-threatening condition in children.
  • Bronchoscopy, while diagnostic and therapeutic, carries inherent risks during and post-procedure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review complications associated with bronchoscopy for foreign body aspiration in children.
  • To highlight necessary precautions to mitigate procedural risks.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective review of 1,035 pediatric patients undergoing bronchoscopy for suspected foreign body aspiration between 1987 and 2005.
  • Diagnosis involved medical history, physical examination, radiological imaging, and bronchoscopy under general anesthesia.
  • Post-procedure monitoring included close observation of respiratory and cardiac systems for 4 hours.

Main Results:

  • A foreign body was confirmed in 88% of patients.
  • Complications included infection (42), hypoxia/bradycardia (30), airway obstruction requiring ventilation (37), bleeding (6), pneumothorax (2), pneumomediastinum (1), and thoracotomies (6).
  • Eight deaths occurred in the series.

Conclusions:

  • Bronchoscopy for pediatric tracheobronchial foreign bodies presents significant risks, including life-threatening events.
  • Clinicians must be vigilant regarding potential complications and implement appropriate precautions.
  • Patient condition and foreign body characteristics should guide the bronchoscopy procedure.
Abstract

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