Retrieval of endobronchial foreign bodies in children: involving the cardiac catheterization lab

Evaluation of foreign body aspiration cases in our pediatric intensive care unit: Single-center experience

Aim

Foreign body aspiration is one of the common home accidents that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment, especially in children aged between 1 and 3 years. The type, location, and obstruction level of the aspirated material, age of the patient, and time of diagnosis influence the severity of the clinical picture. In our study, we aimed to evaluate patients who underwent bronchoscopy in our clinic with a diagnosis of foreign body aspiration in light of literature data.

Material and Methods

The medical records of 87 patients who underwent rigid bronchoscopy with a prediagnosis of foreign body aspiration in Çukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, between January 2016 and August 2018, and were followed up in the pediatric intensive care unit after the procedure were examined retrospectively. The subjects were evaluated in terms of age, sex, primary referal center, time of presentation, symptoms at presentation, physical examination findings, radiologic investigations, type and location of foreign body, and duration of stay in the intensive care unit.

Results

A total of 87 patients were included in the study. Thirty-seven patients (42.5%) were female. The mean age was found as 33.73±39.44 (range, 5-202) months. The most common (74.7%) symptom at presentation was sudden onset of coughing. The foreign body aspirated was organic in 62.1% of patients. The most common foreign bodies aspirated were peanuts, with a rate of 19.5%. Four adolescent female patients underwent broncoscopy because they aspirated needles they held in their mouths while tying their headscarves. Interestingly, one patient aspirated a stone and one patient aspirated a parasite. The most frequent location of foreign body was the right main bronchus (n=27, 31%).

Conclusion

In the diagnosis of foreign body aspiration, the most important step is maintaining a high index of suspicion. Foreign body aspiration should be considered in patients who present with cough, respiratory distress or cyanosis, unilaterally diminished breath sounds, ronchi or stridor on physical examination, and air trapping on chest X-ray. Bronchoscopy is life-saving in the presence of any suspicious history suggestive foreign body aspiration or refractory pneumonia, even if a physical examination and radiologic findings are normal, especially in high-risk children between 1-3 years old.

Tracheobronchial Foreign Bodies in Children: The Role of Emergency Rigid Bronchoscopy

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common and lethal accident in the pediatric age group. It requires early recognition and treatment by rigid bronchoscopy to avoid fatal outcomes. Objective. The aim of this study was to study the pattern of FBA in the tracheobronchial tree as well as the success rate of rigid bronchoscopy in children admitted to a single center and to analyze the relationship of the type of foreign body (FB) with patients' age, presentation, and complications. Methods. A retrospective cross-sectional study of FBA was conducted in children in the Sulaimani/Kurdistan region, Iraq, admitted to the emergency teaching hospital of the University of Sulaimani from January 2014 to March 2016. Result. Data of 83 patients between 6 months and 15 years old were studied. The most affected was the 1- to 5-year-old group. There was a slight female predominance (male to female ratio 0.93:1). The most common FB was sunflower seed (49.4%). History of choking was present in 92.8% of patients; 55.4% had normal air entry, and 37.3% had no added sound on chest auscultation. Normal chest X-ray (CXR) was found in 40% of patients. The most common site was the right bronchial tree (39.8%). Two patients needed mechanical ventilation; both of them died. There was a significant relationship between the type of FB (P = .013, .000, respectively). Conclusion. Medical history is the most important factor for reaching the diagnosis; bronchoscopy is mandatory if choking was witnessed, even if examination and CXR are normal. Organic material causes more local reaction than nonorganic material.

A straight pin foreign body in a child: ingested or aspirated?

BACKGROUND

Though foreign body (FB) aspiration or ingestion is not uncommon in children, a straight pin as the culprit FB is rarely seen. The nature of such a FB makes it sometimes difficult to diagnose and deal with, especially in children.

CASE REPORT

Here we present such a case who was initially misdiagnosed with FB ingestion but turned out to be an aspiration case. Moreover, its remote location from the hilum made a more invasive surgical retrieval inevitable. A thoracotomy was finally performed to retrieve the pin. And the postoperative course was uneventful.

CONCLUSION

For pediatric FB cases, especially in such a case, it is very important to diagnose timely and accurately. A multidisciplinary team approach would facilitate prompt and accurate diagnosis and potentially simplify treatment.

Accidental aspiration of head scarf pin in left bronchus piercing the lung parenchyma: A rare case in a child

Foreign body (FB) aspiration is commonly seen in children but less commonly in adolescents. Headscarf pin aspiration is common in Muslim girls, who inappropriately place the pins between their lips while securing the scarf on the head. Bronchoscopy is the treatment modality of choice, and surgery is rarely required. An 11-year-old girl was admitted as a case of accidental aspiration of headscarf pin. X-ray chest showed a radiopaque object in the left bronchus piercing the lung parenchyma. Computed tomography (CT) chest confirmed the diagnosis. The headscarf pin was removed by flexible bronchoscopy as the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon failed to remove it by rigid bronchoscopy. The FB was removed successfully and the patient was discharged home. Removal of a sharp pin by bronchoscopy is difficult, especially if it pierces the lung parenchyma. In our case, the pin was bent by forceps and then removed by a flexible bronchoscope, which requires a highly skilled professional.

Anaesthesia outside of the operating room: the paediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The focus of cardiac catheterization has changed from principally a diagnostic procedure to providing therapeutic options at various stages of childhood and adult congenital heart disease. The paediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory functions as a 'satellite' operating room. Combined ('hybrid') procedures with interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons present additional challenges for anaesthesia. The increased patient and procedure complexity represents higher risk for anaesthesia-related adverse events.

RECENT FINDINGS

This review concentrates on the recent efforts to determine these patient and procedure-related risks. Multicentre registries have been developed, generating information regarding adverse events and patient outcomes. Standardized adverse events ratios allow comparisons between institutions and providers. Models to identify high-risk groups have been developed.

SUMMARY

Advances in paediatric cardiac catheterization have created significant challenges for delivering anaesthesia in this environment. Anaesthetists need to have an integral role in the cardiac catheterization team, understanding and anticipating the risks for patients and leading the organization of workflow. Techniques used to improve systems in the operating room have been introduced to the cardiac catheterization laboratory to promote patient safety.

Pediatric Pulmonology year in review 2014: Part 1

Our discipline and our journal cover an extremely broad range of research and scholarly topics related to children's respiratory disorders. To better meet the needs of our readership for updated perspectives on the rapidly expanding knowledge in our field, we here summarize the past year's publications in our major topic areas, as well as selected publications in these areas from the core clinical journal literature outside our own pages.