title: Complications in children from foreign bodies in the airway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Foreign body aspiration in childhood is a common and potentially serious problem. Complications may be the result of the aspiration episode itself, delayed diagnosis or treatment. We describe our experience in a paediatric hospital in Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated 56 patients with complications due to foreign body aspiration recorded in the Susy Safe Project between January 2010 and November 2013. The clinical variables analysed were sex, age at time of aspiration, foreign body location and type, time elapsed from the event until object removal, extraction technique, complications, need for hospitalisation and circumstances of the event.
  
  
  RESULTS
  58.9% of the cases described occurred in males, with high presence of adults (76.8%) at the time of aspiration. The incidence was slightly higher in children older than 3 years. In 37 cases (66.1%), the foreign body was located in bronchus; sunflower seeds and ballpoint caps were the most common foreign objects. Only in 10 cases (17.9%) was the object extracted within 24h of the event. The most common complications were pneumonia (18 cases), granuloma (15 cases) and mucosal erosion (9 cases). Hospitalisation was necessary for 41 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early diagnosis and immediate control through specialised teams are essential to ensure proper treatment, usually endoscopic, without risk of complications.
authors: Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Hugo
authors: H
authors: Rodríguez
authors: Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: giselle_cuestas@yahoo.com.ar.
authors: Giselle
authors: G
authors: Cuestas
authors: Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Hugo
authors: H
authors: Botto
authors: Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Nieto
authors: Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Alejandro
authors: A
authors: Cocciaglia
authors: Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Desiderio
authors: D
authors: Passali
authors: Servicio de Endoscopia Respiratoria, Hospital de Pediatría Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors: Dario
authors: D
authors: Gregori
mesh_terms: D001118:Argentina; D002648:Child; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014132:Trachea
keywords: Airway; Children; Complicaciones; Complications; Cuerpo extraño; Foreign body; Niños; Vía aérea