Ear, nose and throat foreign bodies in the pediatric age. An experience in a quaternary care hospital in Maputo, Mozambique

Abstract

Foreign bodies are very common in emergency services. The aim of this study is to analyze FBs in pediatric age, in terms of type, location, age, and gender and method of extraction, type of anesthesia and complication. The present study is a retrospective cross-sectional study based on records from the Mozambican hospital (1983-2009). These were specifically based on medical records for all pediatrics patients diagnosed with the presence of a FB in Otolaryngology. During the study period, 3130 patients under 14 years of age visited this hospital with FB in the ear, nose and throat area; 54.34% were males. Of the 3130 patients, 40.47% had FB in the ear, 32.74% in the esophagus, 18.62% in the nose. The FB was removed with anesthesia in 59.7% patients. In adults the FB story is clear, but in young children it is a challenge, because they do not tell for fear of being heard, or out of shame and a strong suspicion is crucial to avoid unwanted outcomes. The present study showed that FB are more frequent in young male children under 4 years of age, especially in the ear. General anesthesia was most often used to remove foreign bodies.