Most physicians involved in the diagnosis and management of foreign body aspiration and caustic ingestion assume that the numbers of these cases are decreasing. A sizeable number of patients die of caustic ingestion and poisoning annually, and deaths from foreign body ingestion have more than doubled since 1950. Increasing the significance of these needless tragedies is the fact that the most frequent victim is a young, healthy child. Physicians should encourage educational campaigns to alert parents to the dangers of caustic agents and small items capable of being aspirated. They should be conversant with the treatment of both. This paper reviews current opinions regarding management.
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