Foreign body aspiration in children.

BACKGROUND: There is still considerable controversy about the diagnostic procedure, the endoscopic approach, and the complication rate with foreign body aspiration in children. METHODS: Review of our data for 98 children suspected for foreign body aspiration between January 1990 and December 1998 was performed. RESULTS: In this data review, 78% of the children studied were younger than 2 years. A foreign body aspiration was identified in 70%, and 67% had a definite history of aspiration. Predominant clinical features were fever (46%), pneumonia (39%), and coughing (29%). Pathologic chest radiographs were found in 84% of the children. Sixty-two percent of the foreign bodies were trapped in the right lung, and 87% were of organic in origin. In 93%, a single endoscopic procedure was successful in removing the foreign bodies. The mean time between aspiration and bronchoscopic extraction was 5.4 days (range, 1 h to 36 weeks). The procedure-related morbidity rate was 0.96% and the mortality 0. CONCLUSIONS: Outcome and complications were found to depend mainly on the time the foreign body stayed in the tracheobronchial system. Early bronchoscopy is paramount in any case of suspected foreign body aspiration, and it is mandatory to increase the awareness of the population and medical professionals.