Journal of Clinical and Experimental Investigations

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of the bean aspiration in children and its difficulties encountered during removing.
Materials and methods: Ten children with bean aspiration (4 female, 6 male, 9 months-5 years old, mean 34.5 months) were admitted between 2005 and 2011. The data recorded were reviewed according to age, gender, history about aspiration, complaints, reason for bronchoscopy, location of foreign body and problems encountered during bronchoscopy. For the beans removal, we used optical forceps adapted to telescope and extracted the foreign body under direct vision.
Results: The main findings were cough, decreased breath sound on physical examination and emphysematous appearance on plain films. Beans were found on right main bronchus in 5 patients and left main bronchus in 4 patients. The bean was not found in one patient despite the positive family history for bean aspiration. In early cases (n=7), bean could extracted more easily but in delayed cases (n=2), it took more time and challenging due to lung infection, intolerance to anesthesia, and need of more tracheal washing and aspiration. In one case, shell of bean adhered to bronhcial mucosa and coated with fibrin. It could have not been noticed until prompt washouts and aspiration.
Conclusions: Success of removal of swollen foreign objects such as bean from bronchial airway depends on sufficient experience of anesthesia as well as pediatric surgeon. Using optic forceps bronchoscope rather than direct vision bronchoscope and extracting foreign subject via forceps that adapted to optical telescope increases rate of successful bronchoscopy.