Bronchoschopy should always be performed in children on suspicion of foreign body aspiration.

INTRODUCTION

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) can have a fatal outcome, and the diagnosis is challenging since symptoms and signs may vary. We therefore investigated whether it was possible to identify predictors indicating the presence of a foreign body.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The medical records of children undergoing bronchoscopy at Odense University Hospital for suspected FBA in the period from 1977 to 2010 were reviewed and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 143 children underwent bronchoscopy due to suspected FBA. The medical records of 137 of these children were accessible. Their median age was 1.84 years, 62.8% were male and foreign bodies were found in 76 cases (55.5%). The only variable that statistically significantly predicted the presence of a foreign body was a radiologic finding (any abnormal chest X-ray or fluoroscopy) (p = 0.023). A foreign body was found in 22 out of 47 (46.8%) patients with no radiologic findings and in three of 11 (27%) patients with neither symptoms at admission nor radiologic or physical findings.

CONCLUSION

Parental suspicion of an FBA indicates acute bronchoscopy in children regardless of signs, symptoms and findings.