Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration: dental prosthesis

Area of Science:

• Medical Sciences
• Pulmonology
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Foreign body aspiration can lead to severe, life-threatening complications, including airway obstruction.
• While organic materials like food are common aspirated foreign bodies in adults, dental prostheses are rarely reported.
• Prompt extraction of aspirated foreign bodies is crucial to prevent mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a rare case of dental prosthesis aspiration in an adult.
• To emphasize the significance of considering dental apparatus as a potential foreign body during sleep.
• To highlight the successful retrieval of an aspirated foreign body using rigid bronchoscopy.

Main Methods:

• A case study of a 52-year-old male patient presenting with foreign body aspiration.
• Diagnostic evaluation to identify the aspirated foreign body and its location.
• Interventional procedure using rigid bronchoscopy for foreign body extraction.

Main Results:

• The patient had accidentally aspirated the front part of his lower dental prosthesis.
• The aspirated dental prosthesis was successfully extracted using rigid bronchoscopy.
• No immediate life-threatening complications were observed post-procedure.

Conclusions:

• Dental prosthesis aspiration is an uncommon but serious event that can occur during sleep.
• Healthcare providers should maintain a high index of suspicion for dental foreign bodies in relevant cases.
• Patients with dental prostheses should be advised to remove them before sleeping to mitigate aspiration risk.