The most common airway foreign bodies removed with an anti-choking suction device: a descriptive retrospective study

Foreign body airway obstruction (FBAO) is one of the leading causes of accidental death worldwide, with food being among the most common causes. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the most frequent foreign bodies removed from the airway using an anti-choking suction device.

In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed a database obtained from LifeVac, which has collected data on the use of the LifeVac device since 2016.

We analyzed data from 1,062 patients who experienced FBAO and had the obstruction removed using a LifeVac device. These cases spanned 16 countries, with the majority reported in the United States (n=853, 80.3%), where infants were the most represented age group (n=283, 26.6%). Meat was the most common foreign body (n=178, 16.8%). Most victims had no documented medical conditions (n=746, 70.2%). The LifeVac device achieved success on the first attempt in approximately one-third of cases (n=382, 36.0%). Fewer than half of the victims (n=368, 34.7%) sought medical attention afterward. The highest first-attempt success rate occurred in the supine position (247 of 612, 40.4%).

Among LifeVac-reported FBAO cases, infants were the most commonly affected group, meat was the most frequent foreign body, and the highest first-attempt success rate was observed in the supine position. These findings highlight populations and scenarios that may benefit from targeted prevention and timely intervention.