Abstract
Foreign body (FB) injury from aspiration or ingestion is a common pediatric health problem. Diagnosis relies on clinical judgment plus medical history, physical examination, and radiographic evaluation. A multi- institutional review of 1269 FB events revealed that 85% were correctly diagnosed following a single physician encounter. However, 15% of the children had an elusive diagnosis (>1 week), despite previous evaluation. Delays in diagnosis were seven times more likely to occur in aspirations than in ingestions. Secondary injuries (e.g., pneumonia and atelectasis) occurred in 13% of airway FBs but in only 1.7% of esophageal FBs. Plain radiographs were used in 82% of children, and special studies (e.g., fluoroscopy) in only 7%. We conclude that diagnosis of FB injury in children is frequently achieved at the initial evaluation but that continued surveillance by follow- up visits to health care facilities from parents and other caretakers is important, to reduce pulmonary injuries.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 17-20 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Laryngoscope |
Volume | 107 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 1 1997 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Airway injury
- Esophageal injury
- Foreign body injury
- Pediatrics
- Pneumonia
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Otorhinolaryngology