Clinical Study of Foreign Body Aspiration in Infants and Children

ABSTRACT

A clinical study was done on 42 cases of inpatients, who had been admitted for foreign body aspiration form January 1979 to June 1992. We obtained the following results by analysing the records of their treatment during that time. 1) 31(73.8%) of these cases were below the age of 3 years. 25(59.4%) were below the age of 2. The ratio of male to female was 21 2) In 23 cases(54.8%) onset of the symptoms and diagnosis was less than 24 hours after aspiration. 3) Most of the cases(83.3%) had a history of foreign body aspiration; 7 other cases did not. 4) The most common symptoms of bronchial foreign bodies were cough, dyspnea and fever, whereas those of laryngotracheal foreign bodies were dyspnea and cough, in that order. 5) Common complications were obstructive emphysema, pneumonia and atelectasis, in that order. These complications were observed more frequently in the cases of vegetable foreign bodies. 6) Chest X-ray at the time of admission showed obstructive emphysema (42.9%) and pneumonia(40.5%). 11 cases(26.2%) were normal. 7) The most comon site of foreign body enlodgement was the right main bronchus(38.1%), and 4 cases(9.5%) were discovered in other bronchial sites. 8) Vegetable foreign bodies occupied 54.8% of the cases, peanuts being the most common.