2024 Volume 60 Issue 6 Pages 884-889
Purpose: Foreign body aspiration in children is an emergency condition with various symptoms, which is often difficult to diagnose and requires immediate treatment. We report lessons learned from previous cases with a review of the literature, on the basis of which, a delay in its management can be prevented.
Methods: Nineteen cases of foreign body aspiration between January 2003 and May 2023 were included in this study, and data including age, type of foreign body, presence of eyewitnesses, time from onset to diagnosis, and removal method were collected. We defined cases with a time from onset to diagnosis within 2 days and more than 2 days as “early” and “delayed”, respectively. We conducted a statistical analysis of the data collected and compared them between the groups.
Results: Sixty-three percent of the patients were male and 84% were under the age of three. The diagnosis was delayed in six patients (31%), whose hospitalization tended to be longer and who were treated for respiratory infections prior to the precise diagnosis. Witness reports were fewer in this group, which reached a statistical significance. The most common foreign bodies were nuts and beans (47%). CT was performed on 13 patients, the final diagnosis of one of which could not be made. Detailed interviews concerning interest in airway foreign bodies were lacking in four patients with a delayed diagnosis (67%).
Conclusion: Foreign body aspiration in children rarely presents with specific symptoms and may not be apparent on diagnostic imaging. It is important to bear in mind the possibility of airway foreign bodies, in cases of infantile persistent cough, wheezing, or intractable pneumonia. Conducting CT or bronchoscopy may prevent a delay in diagnosis.
