[Tracheobronchial foreign body aspirations]

Abstract

Background: Determining and removing aspirated foreign bodies from the airways is important in preventing complications. Foreign body aspiration is usually seen in childhood but can occur at any age. Complete or partial obstruction of the main bronchial system produces different findings, and death can result if emergency treatment is not given. We analyzed patients treated for foreign body aspiration in our clinic.

Methods: In this report, 96 cases were examined in our clinic for aspiration of foreign bodies between 1995 and 2007. Patients were aged between 10 months and 70 years. Most cases were in the pediatric age group. Sixty-two (62%) patients were female and 34 (38%) were male. The period between aspiration and treatment varied from 1 hour to 10 years.

Results: Bronchoscopies were established with controlled ventilation under general anesthesia. The foreign bodies were seen and extracted in 83 patients (86.5%) using foreign body forceps. Thirteen (13.5%) cases underwent thoracotomy. In the late period, pulmonary resection was performed in 5 (5.2%) cases because of irreversible pathology.

Conclusion: This study reports that foreign body aspiration is important in adults as well as in children, and suspicion and history are the most important diagnostic criteria. Radiologic findings with physical examination are of great importance in the evaluation of these patients.