Flexible bronchoscopy with multiple modalities for foreign body removal in adults

Saviour tool now a foreign body

ABSTRACT

Foreign bodies are commonly seen in children, here presenting a case of a male adult with an impacted thumb pin in the left lower lobe bronchus. Extraction required fiber-optic bronchoscopy, failure of which led to thoracotomy with bronchotomy.

Obstructive pneumonia with bronchial foreign body: A case report

The age of predilection for foreign body aspiration into the lower airway shows a bimodal distribution, with the majority of cases occurring in children or infants and in the elderly. Although several pediatric airway foreign bodies have been summarized, in adults, bronchial foreign bodies are relatively uncommon. There are a variety of symptoms induced by airway foreign bodies, although the typical symptoms of some bronchial foreign bodies are cough. Bronchial foreign bodies, especially in the elderly, may have few symptoms and it is necessary for careful identification. Therefore, it is very important to carefully perform medical consultations about current and past medical history. Herein, we report a case of an elderly Japanese with obstructive pneumonia with a bronchial foreign body of fish bone with a long history of cough. It is known that people in some countries such as Japan have a habit of eating fish. Therefore, it is necessary to more carefully explore the possibility of some bronchial foreign body such as a fish bone, when we observe symptoms of persistent cough in such countries.

Extraction of large foreign bodies from the airway by gastrointestinal endoscopy

Foreign body aspiration is a worldwide health problem that often results in life-threatening complications. Although flexible bronchoscopy is a safe procedure for removal of foreign bodies, it is usually unsuccessful in removing large foreign bodies from the airway. Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, which is frequently used to remove foreign bodies from the gastrointestinal tract, has not been reported for retrieval of airway foreign bodies. In this report, we described three successful cases of removal of large airway foreign bodies by GI endoscopy. To avoid rigid bronchoscopy, GI endoscopy can be considered if flexible bronchoscopy has failed to remove a large or heavy airway foreign body in adult patients.

Flexible Bronchoscopy Combined With an Airway Maneuver for Foreign Material Removal Under Invasive Mechanical Ventilation

We present a case of a patient who had aspirated a massive amount of food, leading to cardiac arrest, and had to be intubated because of severe hypoxemia. The hypoxemia persisted, regardless of the recruitment maneuvers, performance of flexible bronchoscopy, and suctioning through the ventilating tube, because we were unable to reach the left main bronchus (LMB), where the greatest amount was concentrated. However, we managed to overcome this problem by using a prototype handling technique to catheterize the LMB directly with the usage of the flexible bronchoscope. We introduce this handling technique for the removal of foreign material from the LMB, which will probably be really useful in emergency situations, because of its simplicity and effectiveness.

G, SR K, S. R. Difficult Bronchoscopy and Foreign Body Removal: Our Experience

Background Foreign body in the airway is the most life-threatening situation. Most foreign bodies present as acute emergency and can be removed by endoscopy/bronchoscopy, while a few causes complication of a retained foreign body which requires emergency tracheostomy to secure airway followed by foreign body removal.

Case Presentation We report our experience in the management of three children who required tracheostomy through which bronchoscope was introduced and foreign body removed. All patients with unrecognized retained foreign body presented with respiratory distress with desaturation. Imaging was suggestive of atelectasis. After foreign body removal patients recovered well and decannulated by day 5.

Subglottis is the narrowest part of pediatric airway. As these foreign bodies were vegetative they are hygroscopic in nature and hence would not be able to remove the foreign body by bronchoscopic guidance. Hence, tracheostomy was done to provide access followed by bronchoscopic removal.

Conclusion Aspirated foreign body present challenges to the ear, nose, and throat surgeon. Newer techniques enable removal of foreign body easier. Tracheostomy combined with bronchoscopy can be a life-saving and easy to perform procedure which involves removal of foreign body at the same time.

Endobronchial removal of the peripherally located foreign body with the ultrathin bronchoscopy and ultrathin cryoprobe guided by a manual navigating method: A case report

RATIONAL

The bronchoscope is a preferential method used to remove airway foreign bodies, but for those located in the distal lumen of bronchus with long-time retention, how to remove them remains an intractable problem.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 57-year-old male presented with 2-week history of intermittent hemoptysis. Chest CT upon admission revealed a high-density opacity incarcerated in the distal basal segment of the left lower lobe, along with obstructive pneumonia.

DIAGNOSES

The patient was diagnosed as foreign body aspiration.

INTERVENTIONS

We firstly used a manual navigating method to draw a bronchoscopic map according to the thin-section CT. Then we adopted ultrathin bronchoscope (UTB) to remove the peripherally located foreign body.

OUTCOMES

UTB successfully found the foreign body incarcerated in LB10ciiβ under the guidance of manual navigation, but it was too tender to be extracted completely by forceps, and it was even pushed further away. Then 1.1 mm ultrathin cryoprobe was used, with an activation time of 4 seconds, the chili was frozen and completely removed.

LESSONS

This first combined application of manual navigating method, UTB and ultrathin cryoprobe, successfully extracted foreign bodies lodged in the distal airways and thus avoided thoracic surgery.

A case of an occult bronchial foreign body in the right upper lung of an adult.. [DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2276172/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0]

Background Bronchial foreign bodies (BFBs) are less common in adults. An occult bronchial foreign body (OBFB) is a BFB with nontypical history, symptoms, physical signs and imaging, and is prone to either a delayed diagnosis, a missed diagnosis, or a misdiagnosis. There are no reported cases of adult OBFBs present in the upper lobe of the right lung alone. Case Description A 57-year-old previously healthy woman with no history of foreign body aspiration presented with recurrent cough and sputum that was present from August 2021 to May 2022. Her chest computed tomography (CT) suggested pneumonia in the upper lobe of the right lung, and tuberculosis had to be ruled out. After the laboratory tests to exclude tuberculosis were performed, she was diagnosed with pneumonia of the upper lobe of the right lung. Her symptoms were still recurrent after anti-infection and expectorant treatment. Finally, a yellowish-white substance (curd-like or cottage cheese-like) was found in the upper lobe of the right lung under flexible bronchoscopy, and the patient's cough and sputum symptoms were significantly relieved after removal of the substance. Conclusions OBFBs in adults are clinically rare and are prone to either a delayed diagnosis, a missed diagnosis or a misdiagnosis. A patient can be suspected of having a BFB after meeting the 4 conditions of OBFB and having any one indicator—risk factors, indirect signs of lesions on CT, or recurrent respiratory symptoms after treatment. Flexible bronchoscopy is necessary, and rigid bronchoscopy and surgery can be alternate means.

Foreign body aspirations in dental clinics: a narrative review

Foreign body aspiration can produce a medical emergency. Obstruction of the airways can be life-threatening, and complications may develop in less-severe cases if it is left untreated. Although it is more prevalent in children by approximately three times, adults can still experience it, and it is more frequently related to healthcare in adults. Objects used in dental treatment are usually placed in the oral cavity and can be ingested or inhaled by accident. Dental treatment has been identified as an important cause of the misplacement of foreign bodies in the airway. However, few reports have been published on dentistry-related foreign body aspiration. This paper discusses the disease course, management, and clinical outcomes of foreign body aspiration, especially those associated with dentistry. The patient must be examined for respiratory distress. If the patient is unstable, urgent airway management and the maneuvers for removal should be performed. Radiographs and computed tomography can help identify and locate the object. The treatment of choice is often bronchoscopy, and both flexible and rigid endoscopes can be used depending on the situation. Preventive measures need to be implemented to avoid inhalation accidents given the potential consequences. Though the incidence is rare, healthcare levels need to be enhanced to avert morbidity and mortality. Radiological evaluation and bronchoscopy are vital for management.

Adult with mass burnt lime aspiration: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Foreign body aspiration mainly occurs in children, which can cause a severe concurrent syndrome and even death without timely treatment. As a rare foreign body, aspiration of lime is seldom reported, and most cases involve a small amount of hydrated lime. Although the symptoms are usually severe, the prognosis is good after suitable treatment. Experience of treatment for lime aspiration is lacking, and this report provides novel evidence for treatment of mass burnt lime aspiration using bronchoscopy.

CASE SUMMARY

We report an adult with a large amount of burnt lime aspiration. Because of delay in clearance of the inhaled lime in the trachea and bronchus at the local hospital, he suffered several severe complications, including complete occlusion of the right primary bronchus, aeropleura, aerodermectasia, pneumomediastinum, secondary infection and hypoxemia at 4 d after injury. After transferring to our department, bronchoscopy was immediately carried out to clear the lime in the major airway, using foreign body forceps, biopsy forceps, puncture needle, and hairbrush. The patient’s condition recovered rapidly and at 3-months’ follow-up, he demonstrated good recovery of the bronchus and lung parenchyma.

CONCLUSION

After mass lime aspiration, flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy is suggested as early as possible, using clamping, flushing or cryotherapy.

A Novel Type of Aspiration Presenting With Acute Respiratory Failure Caused by Upper Airway Obstruction Due to Diaper Pica

We herein report an extremely rare case of acute respiratory failure due to pica of the high-molecular-weight polymers in a diaper (HMWPD).

An 81-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea. Several hours earlier, the facility staff saw her tearing the diaper and eating it. And several hours later, the staff found her complaining of dyspnea. Her chest computed tomography revealed airway foreign bodies. Immediately, flexible bronchoscopy was performed. The trachea and the bilateral bronchi were filled with the HMWPD. We tried to grasp the HMWPD with various common instruments, but the HMWPD could not be grasped. Finally, we performed direct bronchoscopic suction. All the HMWPD were removed successfully. The HMWPD have hygroscopic property resulting in volume expansion and the fatal consequence of upper airway obstruction.

Physicians working in an emergency department should be aware of this acute respiratory failure due to diaper pica and its effective treatment.

A Rare Case of a Massive Food Bolus Mimicking Lung Cancer

Tracheobronchial aspiration is a very common and serious medical condition. It can present acutely with an aspiration pneumonia, or it can be chronic and occur over a long period of time. In some instances, the diagnosis can be missed, and patients may be treated for years for other medical conditions such as asthma, with no significant improvement. We present here a very interesting case of a 69-year-old gentleman with multiple comorbidities who presented with a fever and shortness of breath. He was initially diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, but when he did not improve, a bronchoscopy was performed, which showed a mass in the right bronchus suspicious for a carcinoid tumor. However, a biopsy was taken and sent to pathology for analysis, which showed food material. He underwent a rigid bronchoscopy for mass removal, which indeed confirmed that the whole mass was composed of food material as a result of tracheobronchial aspiration.

A Case of Pediatric Aspiration of a Metallic Spring

Prolonged retention of a foreign body after aspiration can lead to numerous respiratory complications. We present a case in which an unwitnessed aspiration of a metal spring by a child led to several months of unilateral wheezing and subsequent physical changes in his left mainstem bronchus. The prompt removal of an airway foreign body requires a high index of suspicion by the physician in order to facilitate proper workup to confirm the diagnosis, allow for prompt management, and minimize damage to the airway.

Utility of Flexible Bronchoscopy for Airway Foreign Bodies Removal in Adults

Foreign body aspiration is relatively infrequent in adults. Airway foreign bodies (AFBs) can be removed by flexible bronchoscopy (FB) or rigid bronchoscopy (RB). We performed a retrospective analysis of FBs performed in our centre over a 25 year period, focusing on the procedures that revealed an AFB during the examination stage. We recorded demographic data, clinical characteristics and radiological and bronchoscopic findings. During the study period, 12,588 FBs were performed in adults. Airway foreign bodies were identified in 32 of these cases, giving a prevalence of 0.25%. The most frequent clinical presentation was cough, sputum and fever. The most frequent radiological findings were alveolar infiltrates and atelectasis. In 94% of cases, AFBs were removed successfully by FB; RB was necessary in only 6% of cases. There were no FB-related complications. The most common AFB location was the right bronchial tree (69%). We classified AFBs as organic (85%: animal 57%; vegetable 28%), inorganic (6%) and iatrogenic (9%). Bronchial infection occurred in 51% of cases, and Actinomyces spp. was the most common causal microorganism. In conclusion, AFBs are a rare entity with nonspecific clinical presentation, most AFBs were organic, and FB is a safe and effective method for AFB removal.

Flexible Bronchoscopy Combined with Rigid Bronchoscopy for Treatment of Scarring in the Bronchus Caused by a Foreign Body

Foreign body (FB) aspiration into the tracheobronchial tree is an emergency in the pediatric department, particularly in children aged <3 years. FB granulation tissue is commonly found in children with FB aspiration. However, scarring in the bronchus caused by a FB is rare. We herein report a case involving aspiration of a plastic whistle toy with scarring in the bronchus. The scar tissue was successfully removed by interventional bronchoscopy combined with a flexible electrosurgery probe and carbon dioxide cryotherapy.

Successful Removal of a Chronic Aspirated Foreign Body after Twelve Years

Chronic retention of aspirated foreign bodies is rare but can result in indolent systemic and respiratory symptoms. Bronchoscopy may show features of tissue reaction to the foreign body, including granulation tissue, endobronchial stenosis, strictures, edema, and airway distortion. The diagnosis of foreign body aspiration is often difficult to establish since some patients may not give a clear history of aspiration or may present late. In addition, patients may be misdiagnosed with chronic pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, or malignancy. We present the case of a 42-year-old male who had a chronically retained piece of an aluminum beverage container in the left mainstem bronchus for 12 years. Careful history, radiographic evaluation, and bronchoscopic examination revealed the foreign body, which was successfully extracted by rigid bronchoscopy.

Mini grasping basket forceps for endobronchial foreign body removal in pediatric patients

BACKGROUND

Appropriate device selection is crucial for endobronchial foreign body removal using a bronchoscope. In pediatric patients, bronchoscopy requires the use of a thin device due to the narrow access to the airway, limiting the range of useful endobronchial devices. We herein review our experience in endobronchial foreign body removal with a focus on the type of bronchoscope and the instruments used in comparison with the literature, and investigate the utility of mini grasping basket forceps (FG-55D, Olympus^® ; and Zero Tip^™ , Airway Retrieval Basket, Boston Scientific).

METHODS

Between April 2008 and April 2016, foreign bodies were removed from the airway of 12 pediatric patients by bronchoscopy. These cases are reviewed in this study. The clinical presentation, location and characteristics of the foreign bodies, and the type of bronchoscope and instruments used were analyzed.

RESULTS

A consecutive series of 12 pediatric patients was retrospectively reviewed, and the therapeutic characteristics investigated. Nuts were the most frequently observed foreign body. Seven of the 12 pediatric patients required an ultrathin bronchoscope (diameter, 2.8 mm) for foreign body removal. Only one patient required a rigid scope in addition to flexible bronchoscopy. The most frequently used instrument was a mini grasping basket forceps (n = 7; 58%), which was used with a 1.2 mm instrument channel (n = 4; 33%).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of a mini grasping basket forceps in combination with an ultrathin flexible bronchoscope was useful for removing smooth, soft materials such as a nuts or beans in pediatric cases.

Foreign body aspiration in adult airways: therapeutic approach

Tracheobronchial foreign body (FB) aspiration is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening event in adults. Symptoms typically consist of a choking event followed by cough and dyspnea, however, these findings are inconsistent and symptoms may mimic more chronic lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chest radiography and computed tomography can provide information regarding the location and characteristics of foreign bodies and aid in diagnosis. Bronchoscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosis and management of FB aspiration. The authors describe the typical clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and bronchoscopic management of foreign bodies in adult airways with a focus on bronchoscopic techniques and potential complications of FB extraction.

Foreign body removal in children: Recommendations versus real life-A survey of current clinical management in Germany

BACKGROUND

Task forces of the European Respiratory Society (ERS, 2003) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS, 2015) both recommend rigid bronchoscopy for foreign body removal in children. However, there is an increasing number of publications recommending flexible bronchoscopy as primary method for foreign body removal in children.

METHODS

We therefore initiated a nationwide survey, investigating the routinely used method of foreign body removal in children in different centers in Germany.

RESULTS

In total, 259 centers took part in the survey. Twenty percent used flexible bronchoscopy as primary method of choice for foreign body removal. Of note, only 40% of the respondents reported that they had attended formal training courses in flexible bronchoscopy, 15% in rigid bronchoscopy, and 42% had never attended a formal training. Twenty-five percent indicated that they had already encountered an emergency situation during or after foreign body removal, requiring intensive care.

CONCLUSION

Published data shows that rigid bronchoscopy involves fewer complications and is more successful in foreign body removal in children. It is consequently questionable, why 20% of the medical centers report a preference for the flexible method. One reason might be the poor availability of rigid bronchoscopy and the difficulty gaining sufficient expertise in rigid bronchoscopy in Germany. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:656-661. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Missed Distal Tracheal Foreign Body in Consecutive Bronchoscopies in a 6-year-old Boy

It is unusual but not uncommon for foreign bodies to be missed at bronchoscopy. This case report highlights the importance of the clinical history in the diagnosis of aspirated foreign bodies and the usefulness of chest imaging modalities. A 6-year-old boy presented with recurrent breathlessness and cough of 2 months. He was said to have aspirated the base cap of a pen at about the time symptoms started. He had two sessions of rigid bronchoscopy and a session of flexible bronchoscopy at three different hospitals. He had an initial rigid bronchoscopy which failed to show the foreign body (FB). A chest computerized tomographic scan demonstrated the FB, which was retrieved at combined flexible/rigid bronchoscopy. Although rigid bronchoscopy is the gold standard for managing airway foreign bodies, there remains a false negative rate for this procedure and where necessary, appropriate imaging may compliment rigid bronchoscopy, especially where there is some confusion.