Tracheobronchial Foreign Bodies in Infants-A Review of 14 Cases

We reviewed 14 cases of tracheobronchial foreign bodies in infants treated between 1982 and 1996 at the Osaka Red-Cross Hospital. In all cases, the foreign bodies were successfully removed using a ventilation bronchoscope under general anesthesia. The most common foreign body was a peanut, as noted in other reports. Chest X-ray findings suggested hype lucency in 7 cases, pneumonia in 2 and mediastinal shift in 2, while there were no remarkable changes found in 3 cases. Major signs and symptoms were dyspnea, wheezing and coughs in 13 cases, fever in 10 and cyanosis in 7. Preoperative administration of steroids was effective in facilitating removal of a lonstanding foreign body. We suggest that steroids should be preoperatively administered to patients who have retained a foreign body for a long period.