Tongue entrapment in aluminum water bottle: Discussion of removal and airway management

Tongue entrapment in a bottle neck is rare, with few cases reported in the literature. Reported here is the case of a child who presented to the Emergency Department with her tongue entrapped in an aluminum bottle. This case is unique in that the patient had a delayed presentation resulting in significant tongue edema, requiring advanced methods for removal and airway management. These include sedated mechanical removal of the strangulating object and transnasal fiberoptic intubation. We review published cases and the options for removal of an entrapped tongue from a bottle neck, and we discuss the importance of airway management.