Infant with a foreign body bronchus: A fishy situation!

Abstract

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common cause of respiratory compromise in early childhood. Numerous unique foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree have been reported in the literature. FBA can result in a spectrum of presentations ranging from incidental to acutely life threatening. Described here is a case of inhalation of a live fish caught from a household aquarium by a 10-month-old infant. The infant presented to us with worsening respiratory distress, and an emergency diagnostic rigid bronchoscopy retrieved the fish and the baby survived. This instance highlights the importance of actively investigating pediatric patients with  bronchoscopy when suspicion of FBA is high. This case report of a live fish aspiration in an infant that was successfully removed is a first of its kind.

Keywords: bronchoscopy, foreign body aspiration, respiratory distress