Foreign body aspiration in children: diagnostic and therapeutic role of bronchoscopy

PURPOSE: Assessment of bronchoscopy usefulness for diagnosis and treatment in children suspected of foreign body aspiration. MATERIAL AND METHOD: There were 27 boys and 18 girls in the age from 15 month to 14 years (average 5.5 years). Rigid bronchoscopy was performed under general anaesthesia. Assessment of the respiratory tract was done and in cases with foreign body bronchoscopic evacuation was executed. Medical records and video recordings of bronchoscopy procedures were subjected to retrospective analysis. RESULTS: In 28 children (62.2%) during bronchoscopy, foreign body aspiration recognized in 17 (37.8%) bronchoscopy cases was negative. In 27 patients, foreign bodies were removed. In one child, foreign body was evacuated during second bronchoscopy after preparing proper instrumentation. There were no complications in post-bronchoscopic period. Operating time was from 5 to 90 min, average time was noted to be 24 min. Average time of hospital stay was 2–3 days. CONCLUSIONS: Aspiration of foreign body should be suspected in all cases of bronchopulmonary infection with atypical course. Bronchoscopy is the best diagnostic and therapeutic method in all suspicions of foreign body. In children rigid bronchoscopy is still the method of choice.