Abstract
Background
Foreign body (FB) aspiration is a common and serious problem in childhood, but little information is available about this condition in Chinese context. We aimed to characterize the clinical and epidemiological features of airway FBs in a pediatric Chinese population.
Methods
A retrospective review of medical records of children aged 0-14 years who attended with a diagnosis of FB aspiration the Shanghai Children's Hospital between 2013 and 2017 was carried out. Descriptive analysis was used to assess patient's demographics, clinical, radiographic, bronchoscopic findings, time to presentation, and characteristics of the FBs.
Results
Among the 200 patients included in the study, 92% were under 3 years of age, with a peak incidence of FB aspiration occurring between 1 and 2 years. The male to female ratio was 2.6:1. Twenty-three percent of the patients were admitted within 24 hours of the event, 40% within 1 week, 30% within 1 month, and 7% more than 1 month after aspiration. Eleven percent were laryngotracheal FBs and 89% were bronchial FBs. The most common presenting symptoms of laryngotracheal FBs were cough, dyspnea, and wheezing; those of bronchial FBs were cough, decreased air entry, and wheezing. Chest X-ray was normal in four-fifths of the children with laryngotracheal FBs, whereas most common abnormal x-ray findings in children with bronchial FBs were mediastinal shift, obstructive emphysema, and pneumonia. In children younger than 2 years FBs were more frequently found in the left bronchus, whereas in older children FBs were more frequently found in the right bronchus. Ninety-three percent of the removed FBs were organic materials such as food items and the most frequently aspirated FBs were peanuts. Flexible bronchoscopy was successfully performed in 80.5% of the patients, while rigid bronchoscopy or direct laryngoscopy in 17.5% of the patients. Four patients were subjected to thoracic surgery and 1 died during bronchoscopy due to acute respiratory failure.
Conclusions
Tracheobronchial FBs should be suspected in children who have sudden onset of cough and wheezing episode, even when physical and radiographic evidence is absent. Flexible bronchoscopy has become the first choice in China used for FB removal from airways in children.
Removal of Maxillary Sinus Metallic Foreign Body Like a Hand Sewing Needle by Magnetic Iron