Airway foreign bodies: what's new?

Tracheobronchial foreign body (FB) aspiration is a common problem in children and adults. The medical history is the single most predictive factor in the clinical suspicion of FB aspiration. The "penetration syndrome" defined by the sudden onset of choking and coughing with or without vomiting should prompt concerns for FB aspiration. Findings on radiographic imaging include visualization of a radiopaque FB, atelectasis, postobstructive changes, mediastinal shift, and pneumomediastinum. In the presence of a high clinical suspicion even with normal imaging studies, bronchoscopy should be performed for a thorough evaluation of the airways. Bronchoscopic extraction of airway FBs can be safely accomplished with both the rigid as well as the flexible bronchoscope in adults and children. Rigid bronchoscopy allows for control of the airway and provides excellent visualization with a variety of ancillary instruments available. Increasingly, both the adult and pediatric flexible bronchoscopes have been used successfully in the extraction of airway FBs utilizing urologic or bronchoscopic instruments. Airway control can be achieved with an endotracheal tube or a laryngeal mask airway. A delay in diagnosis increases morbidity including cough, wheeze, edema, and granulation tissue formation. Bronchoscopic evaluation and removal should be performed as soon as the diagnosis is suspected.