Abstract
Inhalation of Foreign Body is one of the most common causes of accidental death at home in the paediatric age group. There may not be a clear history of foreign body inhalation and the patient may be asymptomatic at initial presentation. This coupled with the failure of radiological investigations on most occasions makes this a vexing clinical situation. These apparently normal children almost invariably have a bad prognosis if the foreign body is ignored. This study aims to define the most important factors influencing the decision to carry out the definitive surgery, i.e., bronchoscopy, which can be diagnostic as well as therapeutic, based on our experience with 50 cases of suspected FB in the tracheobronchial tree from January 2001 to July 2003. Results from the study suggest that radiological investigations have only limited value in deciding the management of a patient with suspected Foreign Body inhalation. This should not influence the decision to carry out a bronchoscopy, which should rather be based on history and clinical examination.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black RE, Johnson DG, Matlak ME;bronchoscopic removal of aspirated FB in children, J.Pedatr. Surg 1994 May,29 (5):682–4.
Chatterji S, Chatterji P; The management of FB in air passages. Anaesthesia 1972 Oct 27 (4): 390–5.
Esclamado RM, Richardson MA:Laryngotracheal FB in children, a comparison with bronchial FB.AMJD’s Child 1987 Mar;141(3):259–62.
Hilonger PH; FB of the air and food passages. Trans Am. Acad Ophthalmo/Otolaryngology 1966.
Svedstron E, Puhakka H, Kero P. How accurate is chest radiography in the diagnosis of tracheobronchial FB in children? Pediatric Radio 1989;19(8):520–2.
MUL,He P, Sun D;Inhalation of FB in Chinese children: A review of 400 cases.Laryngoscope 1991 June;101 (6pt):657–60.
Silva AB, Muntz HR, Dary R, Ann Otorhinolaryngol 107:834–38, 1998.
Black R.E., Choi K.J., Syme W.C., Johnson D.G. andMatlak M.E. (1984);Bronchoscopic removal of aspirated FB in children.American Journal of Surgery, 148:778–771.
Gaafar H, Abdel dayem M andMandour M (1982).The value of X-ray examination in the diagnosis of tracheobronchial FB in infants and children.Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and its related specialties.44:340–348.
Hove L.J., Rombout J.D.J.(1993).Foreign body aspiration in children: The diagnostic value of signs, symptoms and preoperative examination.Clinical Otolaryngology.18:55–57.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bhalodiya, N., Supriya, M. & Patel, S. Foreign body inhalation in children: Decisive factors for carrying out bronchoscopy. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 58, 337–339 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03049583
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03049583