title: Risk factors for otolaryngological foreign bodies in Eastern Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors associated with suspected foreign bodies in the ear, nose, throat, airway, and esophagus among Polish children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary care medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients hospitalized for a suspected foreign body (FB) between 1998 and 2008 was conducted. Data regarding place of residence, presence of siblings, parents' educational status, seasonality, psychomotor development, age, and sex were collected and statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1011 patients with suspected foreign body insertion, 849 (84%) had a positive diagnosis. Of the confirmed foreign bodies, 96 were found in the tracheobronchial tree, 142 were found in the esophagus, and 611 were located in the external auditory canals, nasopharyngeal passage, tonsils, auricles, or lips. Sociodemographically, 596 of the children came from urban areas, with a preponderance of males (55%). Objects were removed more frequently in summer and autumn (60%). Children with siblings (53%) predominated. The majority of patients (52%) had parents with an elementary education. Food was the most frequent foreign body in children under 3 years of age. Patients with delayed psychomotor development constituted 1.6% of the analyzed population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Being male, 1 to 3 years of age, belonging to an urban family with siblings, and having parents with an elementary education increased the risk of foreign body insertion. Training caregivers about proper nutrition and safety rules when playing with children can reduce the risk of accidents related to foreign body insertion.
authors: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Children's University Hospital of Lublin, Lublin, Poland. brybojad@wp.pl
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Rybojad
authors: Artur
authors: A
authors: Niedzielski
authors: Grazyna
authors: G
authors: Niedzielska
authors: Pawel
authors: P
authors: Rybojad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004423:Ear; D004947:Esophagus; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012137:Respiratory System; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors