Abstract
AIMS: The current work aimed at evaluating how FBI can cause respiratory distress and stridor as well as their severity according to age, gender, lodgment site, and type of the object. Factors influencing morbidity and mortality among studied patients will be deliberated as well. METHODS: It is a hospital-based descriptive study where all children between birth and 16 years of age who were admitted to Sohag University Hospital, Egypt from January 1st, 2018, to December 31st, 2020, for FBs removal were analyzed. All cases were subjected to complete history taking, physical, radiological, and bronchoscopic examination. RESULTS: A total of fourteen [14] patients were presented with FBI based on a full history, examination, and essential investigation. The vast majority 92.9% of presented cases (13 out of 14) were less than 6 years old. 50% of them (50%) (7 out of 14) were less than one year old. Most cases presented early within a few hours after ingestion (71.4%). Two [2] patients had predisposing conditions like mental retardation and cerebral palsy. 28.6% of cases presented late (> 24 h after aspiration). Except for one case where a cervical oesophageal approach was needed. Endoscopic extractions of foreign bodies were successfully done. 50% of patients required admissions to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The mortality rate was 14.3%. CONCLUSION: FBI is a common clinical emergency in children younger than 6 years. A high index of suspicion is the keystone for diagnosis. Early detection and management are crucial for a positive outcome.