Plastic whistle as foreign body in pediatric airway

ABSTRACT

Fifteen Children were admitted with aspiration of Plastic whistle over period of sixteen months. Of these patients 12 were male and 3 were female. History of aspiration of whistle was available in all the cases. Cough [66.6%], wheeze [53.3%] and whistling on cough [46.6%] were major presenting symptoms. The whistle was visible on chest X-Ray in 2 cases. The other radiological findings include obstructive emphysema [14.3%]. Pneumonia [14.3%] and atelectasis [7.1%] while in 50% of cases chest x- ray were normal. Eleven whistles lodged in right bronchus, 3 in left bronchus and one in trachea. These were removed by Bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. Postoperatively laryngeal edema was encountered in two patients. Parent education and ban on such toys will help to reduce these episodes