Removal Of Tracheobronchial Foreign Bodies Using Flexible Bronchoscopy - A Retrospective Study.

Abstract

Introduction: Foreign body in tracheobronchial tree is a potentially life threatening situation and it requires emergency removal. Materials & Methods: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study of the patients in which we performed flexible bronchoscopy with suspicion of tracheobronchial foreign bodies from 1 st October, 2012 to 30 th September, 2014 (2 Years). Results: Out of 56 suspected cases, tracheobronchial foreign bodies were found in 42 occasions (75%). Among these 42 cases, most were male (69%) and common age group was below 5 years (53%). Most of the patients presented with choking (40%) while few were asymptomatic (12%). Most common complication due to delayed removal of foreign body was pneumonia. X-ray was suggestive of foreign body only in 6 cases (14%). Most common location of foreign body was in right bronchial tree (52%). Seeds were most common foreign bodies (38%). Conclusion: Diagnosis of tracheobronchial foreign bodies is challenging as few patients can be asymptomatic and plain X-ray fails to detect foreign bodies in majority of cases. Considering the risks associated with tracheobroncheal foreign bodies, it is advisable to perform diagnostic bronchoscopy in all suspected cases.