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. 2015 Dec 30;15(3):142-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.tjem.2015.11.010. eCollection 2015 Sep.

The lucky patient who aspirated a needle

Fatih Tanriverdi  1 , Gulhan Kurtoglu Celik  2 , Gul Pamukcu Gunaydin  2
Affiliations

The lucky patient who aspirated a needle

Fatih Tanriverdi et al. Turk J Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Foreign body aspiration is seen frequently in pediatric and geriatric patients, but it can also be seen in adults. Needle aspiration is a common problem in our country. Foreign body aspiration can lead to complete airway obstruction, asphyxia and death but sometimes symptoms may not be evident during the early period of aspiration and patients may present with complications afterwards. Early diagnosis is important in foreign body aspiration for prevention of mortality and complications. Suspicion aroused by patient history is the first step towards a diagnosis. Plain radiography and tomography may be used for imaging. Bronchoscopy is performed for diagnosis if there is uncertainty after imaging and may also be used for the treatment of diagnosed cases. In this article, we present a foreign body aspiration case that presented with difficulty and pain while swallowing, subsequently found to be the result of a needle that was stuck between the oropharynx and epiglottis.

Keywords: Emergency medicine; Foreign body; Respiratory aspiration.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(a) Hyperdense needle seen in cervical computed tomography. (b) Needle removed by endoscopy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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