Chang Alice E, Pereira Kevin D
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-HNS, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2013 Apr;29(4):515-7. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0b013e31828a3c5f.
This study aimed to highlight the pitfalls of relying on radiographs in identifying potentially life-threatening upper airway foreign bodies in children.
Case series.
A review of the medical records of 2 cases of upper tracheal foreign body was performed.
Both patients presented with biphasic stridor refractory to medical therapy and chest radiographs that were normal. One patient had a history of witnessed aspiration while the other did not. Both patients were managed by endoscopic removal of foreign bodies in the operating room and experienced no long-term sequelae related to this event.
Tracheal foreign bodies present a diagnostic challenge, and patients may fail to manifest radiographic abnormalities. In patients with a characteristic history and biphasic stridor, an endoscopic evaluation of the airway should be performed to avoid potentially devastating consequences.
