[Foreign body aspiration in childhood: diagnostic problems]

Abstract

The authors report on 33 children with aspirated foreign bodies not casting a shadow. These included 21 children who had been referred to hospital after more than 24 hours, in some cases only after weeks and months following aspiration or onset of symptoms, and in whom bronchoscopy was thus performed with considerable delay. The study shows that most of the patients presented a pathological x-ray pattern of the thoracic organs; but it also shows that even a "n.a.d." finding should never be an excuse not to perform bronchoscopy if there is the slightest suspicion of aspiration. The authors analyse the reasons causing the delay in diagnosis and treatment.