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Updated: May 9, 2026
Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children
Published on: September 11, 2018
[Foreign bodies aspiration in pediatrics. 15-year experience. Analysis of 337 cases]
I R Aguirre Vázquez1, G Blanco Rodríguez, J Penchyna Grub
1Departamento de Cirugiá de Tórax y Endoscopia, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, México. aguirrevazivan@yahoo.com.mx
Insights
Foreign body aspiration is common in young children, with seeds being the most frequent culprit. Early recognition of symptoms like cough and dyspnea is crucial for timely intervention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Emergency Medicine
- Otolaryngology
Context:
- Foreign body aspiration is a significant pediatric emergency, particularly affecting children aged 1-3 years.
- This study reviews cases from 1995-2011 to analyze diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
- A substantial number of cases (21%) were initially misdiagnosed as respiratory infections.
Purpose:
- To detail the symptomatology, clinical and radiological findings, and treatment of foreign body aspiration in pediatric patients.
- To identify the most common foreign bodies aspirated and their typical locations.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of rigid bronchoscopy for foreign body extraction.
Summary:
- A cohort of 337 pediatric patients (ages 0-16) with foreign body aspiration was analyzed.
- Seeds (57%) and metallic objects (18.3%) were the most common aspirated items, with the right bronchus being the most frequent site (37.7%).
- Key symptoms included cough (74.5%), dyspnea (70%), cyanosis (42.4%), and stridor (26%). All foreign bodies were successfully removed via rigid bronchoscopy without mortality.
Impact:
- Highlights the prevalence of organic foreign bodies in pediatric aspiration.
- Emphasizes the importance of considering foreign body aspiration in children presenting with respiratory symptoms, even if initially misdiagnosed.
- Reinforces rigid bronchoscopy as a safe and effective treatment for pediatric foreign body aspiration.
Abstract:
Foreign body aspiration is a pediatric urgency that occurs primarily between 1 and 3 years old. The aim of this paper is to present the symptomatology, clinical and radiological findings, and the therapeutic used in our hospital with patients with foreign body aspiration diagnosis from 1995 until 2011. Patient's age was between 0 and 16 years old. We included 337 patients; where males predominate (205). The medium age was 23 months. The most frequent foreign bodies founded were seeds (192) in 57% and metallic objects in 18.3%. Cough (74.5%), dyspnea (70%), cyanosis (42.4%) and stridor (26%), were the main symptoms. Right bronchus was the most frequent localization (37.7%). In 21% of the patients the reference diagnostic was wrong due to treating it as a respiratory infection. All foreign bodies were extracted by rigid bronchoscopy. No deaths were reported in any proceeding. In our experience, infants are the most affected group, and the primordial symptoms are cough and dyspnea. Organic objects had the highest prevalence of aspiration.
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