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Published on: September 11, 2018
Complications in children from foreign bodies in the airway
Hugo Rodríguez1, Giselle Cuestas1, Hugo Botto1
1Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Insights
Foreign body aspiration in children can lead to serious complications. Prompt diagnosis and endoscopic removal are crucial for effective treatment and preventing adverse outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Emergency Medicine
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Foreign body aspiration is a frequent pediatric emergency.
- Delayed diagnosis and treatment increase complication risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze complications from foreign body aspiration in children.
- To review treatment experiences at a pediatric hospital in Argentina.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 56 patients from the Susy Safe Project (2010-2013).
- Evaluation of clinical variables including age, foreign body type/location, time to removal, and complications.
Main Results:
- Most cases (58.9%) occurred in males, with a higher incidence in children over 3 years.
- Bronchial foreign bodies (66.1%), particularly sunflower seeds and ballpoint caps, were common.
- Delayed extraction (>24h) was frequent (82.1%), leading to complications like pneumonia (18 cases) and granuloma (15 cases).
- Hospitalization was required for 41 patients.
Conclusions:
- Early diagnosis and specialized intervention are vital.
- Endoscopic removal is the preferred treatment to minimize complications.
Introduction And Objectives:
Foreign body aspiration in childhood is a common and potentially serious problem. Complications may be the result of the aspiration episode itself, delayed diagnosis or treatment. We describe our experience in a paediatric hospital in Argentina.
Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated 56 patients with complications due to foreign body aspiration recorded in the Susy Safe Project between January 2010 and November 2013. The clinical variables analysed were sex, age at time of aspiration, foreign body location and type, time elapsed from the event until object removal, extraction technique, complications, need for hospitalisation and circumstances of the event.
Results:
58.9% of the cases described occurred in males, with high presence of adults (76.8%) at the time of aspiration. The incidence was slightly higher in children older than 3 years. In 37 cases (66.1%), the foreign body was located in bronchus; sunflower seeds and ballpoint caps were the most common foreign objects. Only in 10 cases (17.9%) was the object extracted within 24h of the event. The most common complications were pneumonia (18 cases), granuloma (15 cases) and mucosal erosion (9 cases). Hospitalisation was necessary for 41 patients.
Conclusion:
Early diagnosis and immediate control through specialised teams are essential to ensure proper treatment, usually endoscopic, without risk of complications.
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