title: Injuries due to foreign body aspirations in Georgia: A prevention perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suffocation due to foreign bodies (FB) is a leading cause of death in children aged 0-3. No data from the former U.S.S.R. are available in the international scientific literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients admitted at the Iashvili Central Children Hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia from 1989 to 2011 were analyzed. Injuries in the upper airways due to foreign bodies' inhalation were collected and compared with the Susy Safe Registry and the pooled estimates of the meta-analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  2896 cases were collected. Distribution of injuries in children younger than 3 years was significantly higher than in the Susy Safe Registry and in the "High-Income" countries in the meta-analysis. Percentage of injuries due to organic objects (86%) was significantly higher than in published data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since Georgia is not showing any substantial difference, both in epidemiology and treatment of foreign bodies injuries, as compared to the other case series, translation of public health initiatives from other most advanced prevention experiences is possible and it is likely to be effective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level V, Epidemiological case series.
authors.affiliation: Department of the Respiratory Medicine, M.Iashvili Central Children Hospital, Aeyty Medical School, Tbilisi, Georgia. Electronic address: pataag@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Paata
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gvetadze
authors.affiliation: M.Iashvili Central Children Hospital, Tbilisi State Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia. Electronic address: ivane_ch@internet.ge.
authors.forename: Ivane
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chkhaidze
authors.affiliation: Prochild ONLUS, Trieste, Italy. Electronic address: solidea.baldas@prochild.eu.
authors.forename: Solidea
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baldas
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health, Department of Cardiology, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Internal Medicine Unit, Gemona del Friuli Hospital, Udine, Italy. Electronic address: rosanna.comoretto@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Rosanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Comoretto
authors.affiliation: Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Public Health, Department of Cardiology, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: dario.gregori@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gregori
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000209:etiology*; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D012042:Registries; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000293:injuries*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Choking; Foreign bodies injuries; Georgia; Pediatric injuries