Incidence & Outcome of inhaled foreign body in Thi - Qar

Abstract

Objective: To assess the incidence, different clinical pictures & treatment of a patient with inhaled foreign body and to compare our study made at Al – Hussein Teaching Hospital with those done in other centers and hospitals in Iraq. Patients: This is a prospective study of 100 patients with history of foreign body inhalation who attended the casualty of Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in Nassiriyah from the first of August 2014 to the first of April 2015. Most of them had been dealt with by rigid bronchoscopy. Methods: The case sheets of relevant patients who had been admitted to Al – Hussein Teaching with history of inhaled foreign body were reviewed to collect information like sex, age, types of inhaled foreign bodies, clinical features of patients, operative notes, etc….. Results: All patients were admitted into Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital and the procedure of rigid bronchoscopy was prepared for all of them regardless the age and sex. Fortunately, 3% of patients could be discharged before carrying out the rigid bronchoscopy due to spontaneous expectoration of foreign body during their admission while the rest had undergone the procedure without complications and unfortunately 2% of our patients needed thoracotomy. The procedure of rigid bronchoscopy of a significant percentage of patients had been postponed after admission into the hospital for several days because of severe chest infection              ( pneumonia ) and the patient had been put on heavy injectable antibiotics & steroids until improvement of the clinical picture of the patient and resolving of the lung consolidation before carrying out the rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. This is true for those with history of inhaled foreign body several days, weeks or months ago but not for those with recent history of inhaled foreign body. Patients presented with different clinical features. Various radiological findings had been noticed and many kinds of foreign bodies could be removed. No mortality was recorded. Conclusions: Every effort should be made to remove the inhaled foreign body to relieve dyspnea,  prevent complications and probably save life.