ABSTRACT
Background: Foreign body aspiration in the tracheobronchial tree usually presents as emergency. The diagnosis is often delayed. Aim: To determine the pattern of foreign body aspiration in the tracheobronchial tree in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) and to highlight the factors responsible for the morbidity and the unusually high mortality associated with this accident especially in the paediatric age group. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients from the ENT Surgery department of UPTH over a ten-year period from January 1995 to December 2004. The Clinics record of attendance; augmented by ward and theatre records formed the material resource for this study. Extracted data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: Twenty-eight patients presented with foreign body aspirated in the tracheobronchial tree. Only 11 case notes were retrieved. There were 5 males (45.5) and 6 females (54.5) with a M: F ratio of 1:1.3. The age range was 1 to 45 years with a median age of 6 years. Children below 10 years made up the bulk (63.3). Groundnut was the commonest foreign body inhaled (45.5) while the right main bronchus was the site of lodgment in 9 patients (81.8). The outcome of treatment by the specialists showed a success rate of 63.3and mortality of 36.4. Conclusion: Foreign body in the tracheobronchial tree could be managed with better prognosis in the pediatric age group if the clinicians of first contact had a high index of suspicion and referred cases promptly