Tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration in pediatric patients: An experience on 1060 cases in 2015

This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics of tracheobronchial foreign bodies (TFBs) in children and its methods of treatment, providing a theoretical basis for including TFBs into the clinical pathway for children and conducting bronchoscopy performed by senior residents and attending physicians under general anesthesia. The clinical data of 1060 patients diagnosed with TFBs from January 2015 to January 2016 were evaluated. The age, gender, clinical manifestations, foreign body properties, thoracic CT, and three-dimensional reconstruction, preoperative and postoperative complications, hospital stay, surgical and general anesthesia bronchoscopy, and foreign body removal surgery of these patients were analyzed. TFBs frequently occurred in 0- to 3-year-old patients, accounting for 92.5%, and 64.3% of these patients were male. There is no evident difference in foreign bodies detected in the left and right bronchus. Foreign bodies are mainly botanic, accounting for 88.9%, among which peanuts and melon seeds were mostly observed. All pediatric patients received tracheobronchoscopy under general anesthesia, and 97.3% of these surgeries were performed by senior residents and attending physicians. No complication or death occurred after the surgery. TFBs can be treated according to the clinical pathway. The timely and accurate diagnosis of TFBs and its performance under general anesthesia can evidently reduce the mortality rate. Senior residents and attending physicians can be qualified to perform the bronchoscopy after training.