The clinical characteristics and radiographic findings in patients with foreign body aspiration

*Teresa Ryczer, Lidia Zawadzka-Głos, Mieczysław Chmielik, Patrycja Szczupak

Summary
Introduction. Foreign body (FB) aspiration can lead to acute, life-threatening airway obstruction. Positive history of FB aspiration, clinical signs and symptoms with radiographic findings in a patient with suspected FB aspiration can help us to form diagnosis.
Material and methods. The retrospective analysis of clinical data of 67 patients, suspected of FB aspiration, that were hospitalized in the Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology of Medical University of Warsaw from January 2008 to January 2012, was performed. We analyzed demographic and clinical characteristics, type of X-ray, radiographic findings, type and location of FB in airways.
Conclusions. The positive history of FB aspiration is an indication to perform bronchoscopy. In every case when FB aspiration is suspected, bronchoscopy should be performed. Anteroposterior or lateral decubitus chest X-ray findings can be helpful in the early stage of forming diagnosis. However, the negative chest X-ray does not exclude FB in respiratory tract. Anteroposterior chest X-ray has low sensitivity in patients with radiolucent airway FB.

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