title: Why nut? The aspiration of hazelnuts has become a public health problem among small children in the central and eastern Black Sea regions of Turkey.
abstract: Our objective was to determine the significance of hazelnuts as the causative agent in pediatric foreign body aspirations in the main hazelnut production region of the world. We conducted a 10-year retrospective review of patients admitted to the pediatric surgery department in a 900-bed university hospital. Of 135 children with foreign body aspiration, hazelnut aspiration was identified in 35 (26%). All patients were younger than 5 years of age, and 32% of the hazelnut aspirations occurred during late summer, coinciding with the hazelnut harvest. We conclude that hazelnut aspiration is a public health problem in our region in children younger than 5 years of age, particularly during harvest-time. Hazelnut aspiration can be prevented by a well-defined public education program and precautionary measures taken by government and civil organizations.
authors.affiliation: Toplukonutlar A2/32 Pelitköy, 55200, Samsun, Turkey. btander@omu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tander
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirdar
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aritürk
authors.forename: Riza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizalar
authors.forename: Ferit
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernay
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001980:Bronchi; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D031211:Corylus / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009754:Nuts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011634:Public Health; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D014132:Trachea; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology