Aderrahmane Boufersaoui
Bologhine Ibn Ziri Hospital, Algeria
Title: Foreign body aspiration in children: Experience from 2624 patients
Biography
Biography: Aderrahmane Boufersaoui
Abstract
Objectives: Th e objective of this study is to analyze the epidemiological, clinical, radiological and endoscopic characteristics of pediatric foreign body aspiration in Algeria. Methods: In this retrospective study, the results of 2624 children younger than 18 years admitted in our department for respiratory foreign body removal between 1989 and 2012, were presented. Most of them had an ambulatory rigid bronchoscopy. Results: Th e children (62.34% males and 37.65% females) were aged 4 months to 18 years with 66% between 1 and 3 years. Choking was related in 65% of cases. Th e delay between aspiration and removal was 2–8 days in 65.8% and within 24 h in 9.2%. In the most cases, the children arrived with cough, laryngeal or bronchial signs and unilateral reduction of pediatric vesicular murmur. Th e examination was normal in 13%. Th e most common radiologic fi nding was pulmonary air trapping (40.7%).
Th e aspirated bodies were organic in 66.7%, dominated by peanuts, while sunflower seeds, beans and ears of wheat were the most dangerous. In the other cases, they were metallic or plastic as pen caps and recently scarf pins. Th e endoscopic removal by rigid bronchoscopy was successful and complete in 97%. Cases with extraction failure (3%) limited to certain FBs, all of them inorganic were assigned to surgery. Th e complications related to the endoscopic procedure were 0.29% with a mortality of 0.26%. Conclusion: Foreign body aspiration is a real public health problem in Algeria. Th e best way to manage it is an early diagnosis and a rigid bronchoscopy removal under general anesthesia used by fully trained staff . Th e prevention of this domestic accident should consider the population lifestyle and cultural habits to be more eff ective.