Navigating challenges: Diagnosis and management of foreign body aspiration in a child: A case report

Foreign body aspiration in pediatric patients presents a significant challenge in diagnosis and management, often leading to acute respiratory distress. We report the case of a 4-and-a-half-year-old male child with a history of recurrent left-sided lobar pneumonia, who presented with high-grade fever and cough persisting for 14 days. Despite lacking distress or stridor, a routine chest X-ray revealed right-sided lower lobe pneumonia, prompting further investigation. Auscultation revealed reduced air entry and crepitations in the right lower lobe. Bronchoscopy confirmed the presence of a deep-seated foreign body (a wheel of a toy car with its axle) in the right main bronchus. Prompt intervention by an ENT surgeon led to the successful removal of the foreign body under general anesthesia. Post-procedural care included intravenous administration of dexamethasone and ceftriaxone, along with budecort nebulization. This case highlights the complexities in diagnosing foreign body aspiration and emphasizes the importance of prompt intervention to prevent complications and ensure favorable outcomes.