Airway Obstruction Caused by Iron Pill Aspiration: An Interventional Pulmonology Approach to Prevent Surgery

Iron Pill Aspiration (IPA) is a challenging medical condition that requires prompt management to prevent detrimental outcomes. One of the most serious complications of IPA is airway inflammation which commonly leads to severe obstruction. Airway complications may require surgical intervention including the resection of the affected lung. Prompt recognition and management of IPA can reduce the risk of airway complications and may prevent the need of a surgical intervention. Bronchoscopic management entails the use of flexible and rigid bronchoscopes along with balloon bronchoplasty, ablation of the inflammatory tissue causing obstruction and airway stenting. In this report, we describe a case of severe airway obstruction secondary to iron pill aspiration with favourable outcome following bronchoscopic multimodalities intervention including temporary airway stenting.