Removal of tracheobronchial foreign bodies using flexible and rigid bronchoscopy

BackgroundForeign body inhalation is one of the life threatening emergencies. It may happen at any age, however, most of these accidents occur in children especially below the age of five.MethodsThis prospective study was done at Department of chest diseases from March 2008 to November 2011. A total of sixty patients, with suspicion of tracheobronchial foreign body were included in the study.ResultsSixty patients were studied. Forty (66%) were female and twenty (34%) were male. 45 patients (75%) were above 15 years, 5 (8%) were between five and fifteen years and 10 (17%) were below fifteen years. Thirty five patients (58%), presented mainly with chocking, while fifteenth patients (25%) had cough at initial presentation and ten patients (17%) presented with mild stridor. Thirty five patients (58%) had nothing on chest examination while fifteenth patients (25%) had wheeze on auscultation and ten patients (17%) had decreased air entry on auscultation. Head pin was the commonest foreign body retrieved in thirty five patients (58%). Other foreign bodies were peanut (17%), seeds (12%), Homos (8%), pieces of chicken bone (1.5%), and piece of Sullivan paper of biscuits (1.5%). needle of dental syringe (1.5%).ConclusionsForeign body inhalation is more common in female patients, mostly above fifteenth years of age. Chocking is the commonest symptom and nothing on chest auscultation is the typical examination finding. Peanut has been found to be the commonest type of foreign body below the age of five.