title: Retrieval of an aspirated bullet fragment by flexible bronchoscopy in a mechanically ventilated patient.
abstract: We report the case of a 28-year-old man who aspirated a bullet fragment following a gunshot. Review of the literature indicates this to be a rare finding. Bedside flexible bronchoscopy provided visualization of the foreign body and facilitated its removal while the patient was on a ventilator. The benefits of flexible bronchoscopy in similar conditions are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, West Virginia University Health Science Center, Morgantown 26505.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fulginiti
authors.forename: H V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Dedhia
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kizer
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Timberlake
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001980:Bronchi; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot