Aero Digestive Tract Foreign Body

Foreign bodies in aero-digestive tract

Accidental inhalation of both organic and non-organic FBs continue to be a cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. 

Prevention is best, but early recognition remains a critical factor in the treatment of FB inhalation in children. 

Patients comes with choking, acute dyspnoea, and sudden onset of wheezing are the most common symptoms. 

Laryngeal FBs (airway/ wind pipe foreign body) can cause hoarseness, aphonia, wheezing, and dyspnoea. In some cases parents see or hear from kid inserting or swallowing a foeignbody. But most of the times parents will be unaware of such event and feel their kids got some airway infection. One should suspect a foreignbody in cases of Prolonged Lung\airway infections not subsiding with repeated paediatrician medication treatent. In such cases physician, paediatrician or ENTs do a clinical examination, hear lung sounds (auscultate) and look for signs of diminished or absent airway. Then a radiological investigation is done to confirm level of obstruction. As early as possible child is sedated and we remove foreignbody via telescopy guided bronchoscope instrument. We use a storz system (german optics) which is one of the best devices used to visualize ,hold and remove foreign body from lungs.

Once after removing we inspect bilateral bronchus (above photo- post foreign body removal image of wind pipe bifurcation/bronchi)

Digestive track/oesophageal foreign body

If the foreign body enters oesophagus and stucks at entry or middle. Presentation will be unable to swallow and vomiting. We identify level and remove with the help of oesophagoscopes.