[Vagus death in foreign body bronchoscopy]

Vagus reflex death in foreign body bronchoscopy as a rare incident that severely incriminates medical work is described via a personal observation in an infant of 2 3/4 years of age. Typical symptoms are probably "thorax rigidity", sphincter-like stenosis of the bronchial lumina, paravertebral contraction atelectasis and catarrhal mucous membrane alterations of the respiratory tract. The bulb rhythm producing structures between the tractus solitarius and the nucleus ambiguus must be considered as origins of respiratory arrest.