Aerodigestive foreign bodies.

Accidents with foreign bodies (FBs) are most common within the first two years of life. The airway FBs present a diagnostic dilemma as both the history and the investigations can be misleading. The persistent hypoxia presents a threat to life as does extraction. Moreover, the chemical pneumonitis induced by vegetative FB makes the situation even more worse. The FB of digestive tract are comparatively benign unless long standing. It is neither necessary for the airway FB to present with respiratory symptoms and signs nor for the FB of digestive tract to complain of dysphagia/throat pain. Oesophagoscopy may have to be done if an esophageal FB is causing only recurrent respiratory infections without dysphagia. The situation in dealing with FB varies from site to site in the aerodigestive tract. This article stresses the various dubious factors including the history, examination and investigation which can lead to misdiagnosis and also those problems which are encountered during planned extraction as well as post-operatively.

Aural foreign bodies.

At KGMC Lucknow, 168 pediatric cases with aural foreign bodies (FB) were reviewed. Most of the FB were self-inflicted and seen in children under 5 years of age (69.64%), within 24 hours (91.66%) of impaction. 86.30% of FB were seen to impact in external auditory canal (EAC) and their nature revealed predominance of nonvegetative inanimate FBs (43.45%). The TM perforation was encountered in only 6.54% of cases. If the FB is a living insect, it should be drowned before being manipulated. Syringing is the method of choice for a nonimpacted relatively small FB, even if it is vegetative. It is to be avoided in the 'potential' cases of external otitis or in cases with severely impacted wax. For a tightly wedged smooth rounded FB the hook and forceps are preferred in superficially and deep lying FBs respectively. A dissociate anaesthesia (ketamine) appears to be a better choice than general anaesthesia. An end-aural incision should be preferred over post-aural one and canalplasty for access of FB should be carried out wherever necessary. The presence of otorrhoea in cases of penetrating FB or aural myasis should be dealt on the lines of otitis media after removing the FB concerned.