Sharp Foreign Body Aspiration Patients: Are They Different?

Abstract

Objective: Compare and contrast patients with sharp foreign body aspiration (FBA) in the airways to other non-sharp FBA in terms of age, social background, presentation, and nature of foreign body.

Method: Case series of patients with FBA in airways and the upper digestive tract in multi-centers, between Jan 2004 to Dec 2009.

Results: Around 10 percent of patients had sharp FBA in the airway. We noticed that they are overall older. They mostly have the same social background. Most of them gave clear history of sharp FBA. Imaging was useful in the majority of patients. Most sharp FBA happened with the same object.

Conclusion: Patients with sharp FBA are different in terms of age, social background, presentation, and nature of FBA when compared to other non-sharp FBA.