title: Fatal aspiration of foreign bodies in infants and children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the frequency, circumstances, demographics and autopsy findings of infants and children dying as a result of foreign body aspiration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of autopsy cases in children aged between seven days and 18 years, at one specialist centre over a 16-year period, in which death was the result of aspiration of a foreign body.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten cases were identified out of a total autopsy population of 2165. Only one individual had an underlying diagnosis potentially contributing to aspiration. All but one case involved aspiration of food, with grapes being a feature of four cases. In cases with a prolonged survival interval, autopsy demonstrated bronchopneumonia and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. In the remaining cases autopsy findings were non-specific.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatal aspiration of a foreign body is rare in this population. The cases involve normal children who aspirate food, particularly grapes. There are typically minimal, non-specific findings at autopsy.
authors.affiliation: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Histopathology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bamber
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pryce
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashworth
authors.forename: Neil J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sebire
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001344:Autopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*