title: Management of tracheo-bronchial foreign bodies in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review alternative surgical and anaesthetic options in the management of foreign bodies lodged in the tracheobronchial tree in children aged below 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A five year retrospective secondary data analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hospitals based in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcome variables included morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the thirty two children studied, 74.1% had bronchoscopy and 25.9% thoracotomy. The overall mortality rate was 3.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foreign bodies in the tracheo-bronchial tree are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children aged below 10 years. In settings where appropriate equipment is inadequate, timely thoracotomy may be life saving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Moi University, PO Box 4606, Eldoret, Kenya.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Sisenda
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Khwa-Otsyula
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Wambani
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001980:Bronchi; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D007887:Fabaceae; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D009017:Morbidity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012639:Seeds; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014132:Trachea; D016896:Treatment Outcome