Foreign body aspiration direction in the trachea-bronchial tree: does cardiac magnetic field affect it?

Abstract

Background Recently, several studies have initiated electrical potential and magnetic field strength at the surface of the living body. The present work aims to study the deviation of the metallic foreign bodies toward the left lung, which is adjacent to the heart. Patients and methods A total of 100 patients with aspiration of foreign bodies of metallic and nonmetallic nature who were admitted to bronchoscopic units of the chest and cardiothoracic surgical departments, Benha and Kafr El Sheikh University hospitals (Egypt) were included. All patients underwent a bronchoscopic operation to extract these foreign bodies from the trachea-bronchial tree of the lung. Results All cases with nonmetallic foreign bodies (67 cases) went to the right lung. In contrast, all cases with metallic foreign bodies (30 cases) went to the left lung owing to the magnetic field lines produced from the depolarization of the electrical activity of the heart, and one aluminum (nonmagnet) wire foreign body went to the right lung, whereas one coin and one golden brush impacted in the trachea. Conclusion Magnetic field lines produced from the depolarization of the cardiac electrical activity act as a magnet and attract metallic foreign bodies to the left side of the lung.