Abstract
Background: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children
Objectives: Retrospective analysis of cases who arrived Kocaeli Universtiy Hospital with suspected FBA and underwent bronchoscopy
Methods: Forty children who underwent bronchoscopy for FB removal from February 2005 to January 2010 at Kocaeli Universtiy Hospital were reviewed retrospectively.We recorded the patients' presenting symptoms,physical and radiological findings,the time elapsed from aspiration to presentation,type and location of FB,acute and long-term complications,follow up period and hospitalisation period
Results: There were 26 male patients.The mean age was 59,8±34,2 months (range 29-195 months).FBs were removed within 1-184 days following the aspiration (median: 2 days).During presentation;38 cases had clinical symptoms and wheezing was the most common one.Thirty-three FBs were organic and hazelnuts were the most common. Twenty-three (57.5%) cases had radiological findings during presentation and 10 (25%) had acute complications (pneumonia).Patients were hospitalized for 1-17 days (median 2days) and followed up for 34,5±31,3 months. Seventeen patients had persistent clinical symptoms.There were chronic radiological findings in 5 patients and fibrotic sequelaes in 11 patients.Although statistically not significant; chronic radiological findings were more common in patients in whom bronchoscopy was performed lately
Conclusions: Follow up period and methods of chidren with tracheobrachial FBA are controversial. Additionally, there are not enough studies about its long term complications.Some patients cannot be followed up for a sufficient period and this can lead to the development of chronic changes.
- © 2011 ERS
