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25-Year Review of the Abundance and Diversity of Radiopaque Airway Foreign Bodies in Children

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Abstract

This study was conducted to review the abundance and diversity of radiopaque foreign bodies over a 25-year period. Overall records of 1,114 patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy due to foreign body aspiration in the tertiary centres, Imam Khomeini and Apadana; over a 25-year period (1989–2014) were reviewed. History, clinical findings, plain radiography and bronchoscopic findings, foreign body (FB) aspiration (whether radiolucent or radiopaque), time from onset of symptoms until hospitalization, and delay time were all considered. The male/female ratio was 1.53. Most patients were aged 1–3 years (53.94 %). The most common location of foreign bodies was the right main bronchus (54.57 %). The most common type of radiopaque foreign body was meat, chicken and big fish bones (4.84 %) followed by metal objects (4.39 %). Coughing (70.82 %) and cyanosis (22.80 %) were the most common symptoms. The most common radiological findings were emphysema (32.31 %). Given that the radiological findings are highly specific as regards the detection of radiopaque FB, radiographic examination prior to bronchoscopy for FB localization and shortening the time of bronchoscopy in patients with a history of radiopaque FB aspiration can be helpful. Due to the high morbidity and mortality caused by prolong and repeated bronchoscopy, the use of newer techniques and equipment in shortening extraction time of the foreign bodies should be considered in future researches.

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Acknowledgments

This paper is issued from thesis of Seyed Mohammad Heshmati and financial support was provided by Hearing and Speech Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran (Grant No. HRC-9304).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of ENT, Hearing and Speech Research Centre, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Nader Saki, Soheila Nikakhlagh & Seyed Mohammad Heshmati

  2. Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Seyed Mohammad Heshmati

  3. Unit 34, No 19, Paniz bldg, Parzin Baghdadi St, Zaferaniye, 19879-13776, Tehran, Iran

    Seyed Mohammad Heshmati

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  1. Nader Saki
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  2. Soheila Nikakhlagh
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Correspondence to Seyed Mohammad Heshmati.

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Saki, N., Nikakhlagh, S. & Heshmati, S.M. 25-Year Review of the Abundance and Diversity of Radiopaque Airway Foreign Bodies in Children. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 67, 261–266 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-014-0817-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-014-0817-0

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