title: [Foreign body aspiration: an urgent airway condition].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to investigate demographic features, type and localization of foreign bodies, mean hospitalization duration, and peri- and postoperative complication ratios of patients with foreign body aspiration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients (23 males, 47 females; mean age 32±14.5 months; range 3 months to 10 years) who were diagnosed with foreign body aspiration in our clinic between January 2007 and August 2010, and performed rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia were included in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Main findings were cough, wheezing, and witnessed aspiration. No foreign body was detected in 14 patients (20%). Foreign bodies in 56 patients (80%) were successfully removed. Foreign bodies were located in the left bronchial tree in 23 patients (41%), right bronchial tree in 18 patients (32%), trachea in four patients (7%), bilateral bronchial tree in three patients (5%), carina in two patients (3%), subglottic region in two patients (3%), pyriform sinus in two patients (2%), laryngeal ventricle in one patient (1.7%), and right vocal cord in one patient (1.7%). Foreign bodies were hard-shelled nuts in 23 patients (41%), beans in 14 patients (25%), plastic materials in 11 patients (19%), and other bodies in eight patients (14%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foreign body aspiration is a risky condition particularly for children under the age of four. Bronchoscopy is still the most commonly used and reliable diagnosis and treatment method. Foreign body aspiration should be kept in mind in children with persistent cough, wheezing, and unilateral pulmonary findings in radiologic imaging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of İstanbul University, 34390 Fatih, İstanbul, Turkey.drburakkara@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Burak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: Kadir Serkan
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Orhan
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ulusan
authors.forename: Bora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Başaran
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Değer
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D001980:Bronchi; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014132:Trachea; D014421:Turkey