Undiagnosed and retained foreign bodies may result in serious complications such as pneumonia, atelectasis, or bronchiectasis. We reviewed a total of 174 children with foreign body aspiration (FBA). Clinical, radiological, and bronchoscopic findings of these patients were evaluated according to the nature of foreign body and elapsed time from aspiration to diagnosis. Significant differences were noted between patients with organic and inorganic FBA in terms of clinical and radiological findings. Cough, recurrent pneumonia, and fever were the most common presenting symptoms in patients with delayed diagnosis. Long-term follow-up was available for 110 patients for a mean duration of 37.8 +/- 23.7 months (range, 1-88 months). We evaluated the course of recovery after bronchoscopic removal. Organic FBA was of comparable duration as for inorganic FBA, and prolonged follow-up was associated with increased risk of persistent symptoms and bronchiectasis (P < 0.001). The risk of long-term complications increased with increasing elapsed time from aspiration to diagnosis; complications were as high as 60% in children who were diagnosed 30 days after FBA (P = 0.0035). Bronchiectasis was a major complication, found in 25% of patients whose diagnosis was delayed by more than 30 days (P = 0.0001). Three patients with bronchiectasis underwent lobectomy. Patients with persistent asthma-like symptoms such as cough and wheezing required treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and bronchodilators. The positive response to this treatment was thought to be a confirmation of the development of transient bronchial hyperresponsiveness induced by foreign bodies. We conclude that timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment of FBA is important to prevent long-term complications in affected children.

Background: Non-cystic-fibrosis (non-CF) bronchiectasis in childhood is still one of the most common causes of childhood morbidity in developing countries. The management of these patients remains problematic, and there are few studies of long-term outcome. Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to define the general characteristics, underlying causative factors and long-term follow-up results of non-CF bronchiectasis patients. Methods: One hundred and eleven consecutive children, diagnosed with non-CF bronchiectasis were included in the study. General characteristics and underlying causes were recorded from the medical records. Clinical outcomes were evaluated in terms of lung function tests, annual exacerbation rates and patient/parent perception of health status. Results: Mean age of the patients was 7.4 ± 3.7 years at presentation, and patients had been followed 4.7 ± 2.7 years on average. In 62.2% of the patients, an underlying etiology was identified, whereas postinfectious bronchiectasis was the most common (29.7%). In spite of intensive medical treatment, 23.4% of the patients required surgery. The annual lower respiratory infection rate has decreased from a mean of 6.6 ± 4.0 to 2.9 ± 2.9 during follow-up (p < 0.0001). Lung function tests were also found to be improved (mean FEV₁% 63.3 ± 21.0 vs. 73.9 ± 27.9; p = 0.01; mean FVC% 68.1 ± 22.2 vs. 74.0 ± 24.8; p = 0.04). There was clinical improvement in both the surgical (73%) and medical (70.1%) groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, bronchiectasis remains a disease of concern to pediatricians, particularly in developing countries. Infections are still important causes of bronchiectasis, and clinical improvement can be achieved by appropriate treatment. Although medical treatment is the mainstay of management, surgery should be considered in selected patients.

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Background: The number of children on home mechanical ventilation (HMV) has increased markedly in Europe and North America but little is known about the HMV use and outcomes in children in Turkey. Objective: To review clinical conditions and outcome of children who were discharged from the hospital on respiratory support. Methods: Thirty-four patients assessed at the Marmara University Hospital in Istanbul who had been receiving ventilatory support at home for more than 3 months were included in the study. Results: Thirty-four patients with a median age of 5.1 years were discharged home with ventilatory support. HMV was started in 2001 at our institution and the number of children treated has increased substantially since then (2001: n = 1, 2002: n = 3, 2003: n = 3, 2004: n = 2, 2005: n = 14, 2006: n = 11).Ventilatory support was started at a median age of 1.8 years and continued for 13 months. Eleven (32.4%) patients received invasive mechanical ventilation via tracheostomy and 23 (67.6%) patients received noninvasive mechanical ventilation. Sixteen children (47.1%) were on noninvasive mechanical ventilation via nasal mask while 7 (20.6%) used a face mask. Seven (20.6%) patients received ventilatory support for 24 h and 27 (79.4%) patients were supported only during sleep. Twenty-four (70.6%) children received supplemental oxygen in addition to ventilatory support. Three patients successfully came off ventilatory support; 11 patients died during follow-up. None of the patients had home nursing and there were no life-threatening complications. Conclusions: A rapidly rising trend of HMV use in chronic respiratory failure (CRF) has been observed in this study. HMV can be safely applied in selected children with CRF with close monitoring and proper follow-up in developing countries despite the lack of home nursing.

Longitudinal eosinophil levels are linearly associated with chronic asthma in childhood, independent of atopy. The strong association between parental asthma and eosinophil status suggests that genetic background may be an important determinant of eosinophilic response.