Small magnet aspiration as a pediatric emergency: a case report

Tracheobronchial airway foreign body aspiration (FBA) in children is a common and serious pediatric medical emergency. With the increasing use of small magnets in home offices, in toys and the kitchen, inhalation of small magnets has become an increasing risk to children. We present a case of a 9-year-old boy who presented with cough and dyspnea three days following inhalation of an 3 cm-sized oval magnet. The history and the chest radiograph were important in planning for the removal of the aspirated foreign body. In this case, we removed the inhaled magnet using rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthetic. We herein reviewed the recent reports on the incidence and management of small foreign body aspiration as a pediatric emergency.