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Bronchial Foreign Body Aspiration Due to Polycarbophil Calcium
Takehiro Tsuchiya1, Atsushi Sano1, Mai Kaneko2
1Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chigasaki Municipal Hospital, Japan.
Abstract:
Polycarbophil calcium (Polyful®; Mylan, Tokyo, Japan) is a stool stabilizer that absorbs liquid and swells to form a soft, bulky mass. A 75-year-old woman experienced sore throat and difficulty breathing immediately after taking the drug. Chest computed tomography showed a foreign body in the right intermediate bronchus. Bronchoscopy showed a white mass blocking the right intermediate bronchus. Since the mass was very fragile, we performed suctioning while breaking up the mass with a suction tube. The mass consisted of polycarbophil calcium. Since aspirated polycarbophil calcium swells and can obstruct bronchi, complete removal is crucial.
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