Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2023 October, 261(2)

The Transition of Pediatric Tracheobronchial Foreign Body Cases in the Past 36 Years: A Retrospective Single-Center Study in Japan

Hiyori Takahashi,1 Jun Suzuki,1 Ryoukichi Ikeda,2 Tetsuya Oishi,1 Jun Ohta,1 Ai Hirano-Kawamoto1 and Yukio Katori1

1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
2Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Iwate Medical University, Shiwa-gun, Iwate, Japan

Tracheobronchial foreign bodies (TFBs) are pediatric airway emergencies frequently seen. We aimed to examine the changes in the clinical characteristics of pediatric TFB patients in a single institution within the past 36 years. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 85 patients aged 0-10 years with TFBs lodged in the trachea or bronchus admitted at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Tohoku University Hospital between 1986 and 2021. We also compared the characteristics, diagnostic methods, and treatments of the previous 64 cases (1986-2005) with those of the recent 21 cases (2006-2021). The number of TFB patients decreased later in this study (3.2 vs. 1.3 patients per year). The proportion of TFB patients aged > 3 years was significantly higher in the later period (6.3% vs. 23.8%, p = 0.038). Peanut was the most common cause of TFBs in both periods, and the overall incidence of peanut aspiration significantly decreased in the later period (68.8% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.019). No patient had an undetected TFB for more than 1 month after the onset of symptoms in the later period. Foreign body extraction using rigid bronchoscopy was performed in all patients earlier, whereas flexible bronchoscopy was used in 14.3% later. Our study revealed a recent trend in the clinical characteristics of pediatric TFB patients in a single institution in Northeast Japan. The prevention and treatment of pediatric TFBs should be considered following the recent trends.

Key words —— airway; aspiration; characteristics; children; tracheobronchial foreign body

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2023 October, 261(2), 129-137.

Correspondence: Jun Suzuki, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan.

e-mail: j_suzuki1212@orl.med.tohoku.ac.jp