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Auricular Acupressure as an Adjuvant Treatment for Wheezing in Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
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All that wheezes is not asthma: a 6-year-old with foreign body aspiration and no suggestive history

Amy Maguire1, Saikiran Gopalakaje, Katherine Eastham

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK.

BMJ Case Reports
|December 14, 2012
PubMed

Insights

A child

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
  • Pediatric Pulmonology

Background:

  • Persistent wheezing and wet cough in a child initially suspected as asthma.
  • Treatment with bronchodilators and oral steroids for presumed asthma was ineffective.

Observation:

  • Spirometry revealed reduced forced expiratory volume without reversibility.
  • Investigations for chronic cough, including immunoglobulins, sweat test, and chest X-ray, were normal.
  • An unusual inspiratory noise prompted further investigation.

Findings:

  • Bronchoscopy identified a small plastic tube lodged in the bronchus intermedius.
  • Surgical removal of the foreign body led to complete resolution of symptoms.

Implications:

  • Highlights the importance of considering foreign body aspiration (FBA) in pediatric respiratory cases, even without a clear history.
  • Emphasizes thorough clinical assessment to differentiate causes of wheezing and cough in children.
  • Underscores the diagnostic value of bronchoscopy for persistent respiratory symptoms in pediatric patients.

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