Management of tracheo-bronchial foreign bodies in children.

OBJECTIVES: To review alternative surgical and anaesthetic options in the management of foreign bodies lodged in the tracheobronchial tree in children aged below 10 years. DESIGN: A five year retrospective secondary data analysis. SETTING: Three hospitals based in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome variables included morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Of the thirty two children studied, 74.1% had bronchoscopy and 25.9% thoracotomy. The overall mortality rate was 3.3%. CONCLUSION: Foreign bodies in the tracheo-bronchial tree are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children aged below 10 years. In settings where appropriate equipment is inadequate, timely thoracotomy may be life saving.