An unusual cure for a foreign body in the airway: A case report

Abstract

Foreign body in the tracheobronchial tree represents a true emergency. The condition may be difficult to diagnose in children especially when there is no history to suggest aspiration and when the foreign body is not visualized on x-rays. If diagnosed, however, the definitive management is removal of the foreign body. We report a case of a long-standing foreign body (pencil eraser with a metal rim) in the left main bronchus of a child which had remained undiagnosed until after five weeks but coincidentally expelled following hard coughing triggered by passage of a nasogastric tube meant for investigative purposes. This was followed by dramatic resolution of the respiratory distress and a normalization of radiographic features five days later.

Keywords: Foreign body; nasogastric tube passage; hard coughing; outcome