Challenges in Diagnosing Foreign Body Aspiration in Children

Foreign body aspiration in children is a medical emergency that is associated with significant morbidity and requires medical intervention. The variability of clinical presentations results in delayed diagnosis and treatment. Hence, a high index of clinical suspicion and a thorough examination is ne...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 14; no. 1; p. e21519
Main Authors:	Goh, Pei Li, Lim, Eng Haw, Teo, Davina Stasia Hui Ming, Sairin, Mohd Eksan
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States Cureus 23-01-2022
Subjects:	Family/General Practice Otolaryngology Pediatrics foreign body aspiration bronchopneumonia children respiratory distress bronchoscopy
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Foreign body aspiration in children is a medical emergency that is associated with significant morbidity and requires medical intervention. The variability of clinical presentations results in delayed diagnosis and treatment. Hence, a high index of clinical suspicion and a thorough examination is needed to expedite the management. We report the case of a toddler girl who aspirated a piece of peanut and was diagnosed as having bronchopneumonia upon presentation with respiratory symptoms for six days. Rigid bronchoscopy was performed and the foreign body was removed successfully without any complications. We aim to highlight the importance of considering the diagnosis of airway foreign body in children with unexplained respiratory distress in our case study.
ISSN:	2168-8184 2168-8184
DOI:	10.7759/cureus.21519