Foreign Body Aspiration – A Potentially Life-Threatening Complication of Seizures

In adults, foreign body aspiration is an uncommon clinical presentation. Aspiration can occur during a seizure and in the post-ictal period due to the loss of airway reflexes. Commonly aspirated contents include saliva, blood, or vomited gastric contents. Due to a common misconception that placing an object, such as a spoon, in a seizing person’s mouth prevents tongue-biting, a variety of unusual items may also potentially be aspirated. With an unclear history, relatively small, radiolucent objects are often misdiagnosed or missed entirely. Chest pain or unexplained hemoptysis may be the only symptoms to suggest aspiration. In this report, the authors present a case of a patient with an unusual foreign body aspiration.