Inhaled Foreign Bodies in Children: An Analysis of 40 cases

Abstract

Early diagnosis and removal of an inhaled foreign body may save a patient from chronic ill health or possibly death. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the radiological findings in 40 children who attended hospital with respiratory symptoms caused by the presence of an inhaled solid object lodged in the trachea or a major bronchus. 2 of these objects were coughed up while the patients were in hospital, 37 were removed at bronchoscopy, and in one child bronchotomy was necessary. All attended since the beginning of 1956 over a period of almost 10 years.