Foreign body in tracheobronchial tree

Foreign body inhalation into the tracheobronchial tree can prove to be a life threatening unless timely intervened and appropriate steps are being taken towards its management [1]. A review of 32 cases was done at MP Shah Medical College Jamnagar over a period of 2 years. Children were most susceptible to aspiration of foreign bodies. All the cases were selected on the basis of detailed clinical history, clinical features, and radiological findings. The cases which had a strong index of suspicion without any positive clinical history were also subjected to rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. Maximum number of cases was in the age group of 1 to 3 years (62.5%). The minimum age group ranging from 6 months to maximum 8 years. The time of presentation of the patients varied from within 24 hours to upto 6 months. Only four patients presented within 24 hours. The maximum presenting period was within 1 week. Organic foreign bodies were most common presentation (groundnut). Other foreign bodies were grains, seeds, ball pen cap, stones and slate pencil. Definite history of inhalation was available only in 19 cases with symptoms of choking, breathlessness, cough and recurrent upper respiratory tract infection. Right main bronchus was found to be most common site of impaction (52%) followed by left main bronchus (32%) and tracheal foreign body (16%).