Characteristics and Treatment of Pediatric Tracheobronchial Foreign Bodies: A Retrospective Analysis of 715 Cases

Abstract

Background This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of tracheobronchial foreign bodies in children in Shenzhen and to explore the diagnosis and treatment methods for special cases. Material/Methods This study included a total of 715 children who were diagnosed with tracheobronchial foreign bodies at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital between October 2016 and October 2021. Data on sex, age, inducement, symptoms, foreign body type, foreign body location, foreign body retention time, foreign body history, and complications were recorded and analyzed. Results Tracheal foreign bodies were found to occur primarily in children aged 0–2 years (90.6%). The overall incidence rates were 69.1% and 30.9% in boys and girls, respectively. Among them, 42.5% of the foreign bodies were detected in the left bronchus and 45.6% in the right bronchus. Inducements included playing while eating (n=398, 55.7%) and also crying (n=209, 29.2%). Operations were performed on 710 (99.3%) children, including 80 (11.2%) immediate surgeries and 2 tracheotomies. One child had no vital signs upon admission and died after emergency foreign body removal. All of the other children who underwent surgery recovered well postoperatively. Conclusions This study presents the characteristics and methods of diagnosis and treatment of tracheobronchial foreign bodies in pediatric patients in Shenzhen. Tracheobronchial foreign bodies are a major cause of accidental injury in infants and young children. In critical cases, airways should be immediately and rapidly cleared with multidisciplinary collaboration. In addition, public safety awareness should be strengthened, particularly among parents, teachers, and other child caregivers, to reduce and prevent instances of tracheobronchial foreign body accidents in children.

A Retrospective Analysis of Foreign Body Ingestions Among the Pediatric Age Group in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

“…Another study conducted in China showed that the overall incidence of FBI was significantly higher among males (69.1%) [12], which reflects how gender is an influencing factor of FBI among the pediatric age group. This influence could be due to differences in physiological development, such as the development of mastication, laryngeal protection, and swallowing coordination [12]. However, the association between gender and FBI in our study was not statistically significant (p=0.19).…”

Hair Tourniquet Syndrome Involving the Uvula Secondary to an Airway Foreign Body

“…Foreign bodies of the upper airway often produce symptoms of obstruction, such as stridor, wheezing, chest retractions, and/or persistent cough, and should be suspected in patients who do not respond clinically to treatment for upper airway infection or upper airway reactive disease [ 4 ]. The diagnosis of an airway foreign body can be aided by fiberoptic bronchoscopy or a CT scan [ 5 ]. We describe a rare case of hair tourniquet syndrome of the uvula secondary to an upper airway foreign body.…”