Extraction of airway foreign bodies with bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in adults: an analysis of 38 cases

BACKGROUND: To explore the efficacy and safety of extracting airway foreign bodies with bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in adults. METHODS: Altogether, 38 adult patients who underwent airway foreign body extraction with bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in the Pneumology Department of Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2005 to December 2014 were included in the study and retrospectively analyzed concerning the extraction methods and complications. The indications and experience and lessons were summarized. RESULTS: In 38 patients with general anesthesia who had foreign bodies removed by bronchoscopy, 1 case failed to be removed, and 37 cases were successfully removed, with a success rate of 97.4%. One of the patients failed to remove the foreign body due to massive hemorrhage during the resection of the right middle bronchial stone, and the operation was interrupted. Blood loss was analyzed in all patients, 4 patients (10.5%) lost blood greater than 10 mL, and 1 patient (2.63%) lost blood greater than 300 mL. To analyze the status of airway injury, 3 patients (7.9%) had local airway mucosal tearing, and 1 patient had mild glottis edema. All the patients in this group had silent portal injury, severe hypoxemia or asphyxia, and no complications such as pneumothorax, mediastinal emphysema or pulmonary edema occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Extraction of airway foreign bodies with bronchoscopy under general anesthesia in adults is safe and effective and can avoid surgical treatment in some patients.