International Journal of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Background: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is one of the most alarming emergencies in paediatric care. Among children under the age of three, the risk is significantly heightened due to behavioural tendencies. Aim: To evaluate outcomes after Rigid Bronchoscopy in children with suspected or confirmed foreign body aspiration.

Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Postgraduate Department of Anaesthesiology & Critical Care and the Department of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) at Government Medical College, Srinagar. The study was carried out at SMHS Hospital, a large tertiary care hospital that serves a diverse patient population, including children from various socioeconomic backgrounds. This study analyzed 115 pediatric FB aspiration cases managed via rigid bronchoscopy, evaluating Outcomes of procedure by means of retrieval of FB (successful/unsuccessful) and Post-procedural complications. Results: Type of Foreign body, Duration of FB inhalation, Duration of Bronchoscopy procedure and no. of attempts of bronchoscopy were having significant association with the Outcomes of FB removal and Post-Operative Bronchoscopy complications. The procedure had a 91.3% success rate, affirming rigid bronchoscopy’s efficacy in FBA removal. Of these 115 children, procedure was unsuccessful in 10. Of these 5 patients were referred to CVTS, 3 cases were negative for bronchoscopy and 2 cases were shifted to ICU intubated in view of unstable condition and then later planned for removal. Most of the cases (51.3%) had no complications. Incidence of the cases who had complications-low saturation (26.09%), Bronchospasm (19.13%) and rare complications include Bradycardia (1.74%) and Re-intubation (1.74%).

Conclusion: In conclusion, rigid bronchoscopy remains the gold standard for managing paediatric foreign body aspiration, demonstrating a high success rate of 91.3% in foreign body removal. The procedure is generally safe. However, post-operative complications such as desaturation and bronchospasm were commonly observed.