The sweet lung: Chewing gummi bear aspiration

Inhalation of foreign bodies, a leading cause of accidental death, is most common in preschool children. In this article we report our experience with a 5-year-old Greek girl who presented with a 24-hour history of sore throat, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Emergency bronchoscopy was performe...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Theonimfi Tavladaki, Michaela-Diana Fitrolaki, Anna-Maria Spanaki, Staurula Ilia, Elissabet Geromarkaki, George Briassoulis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2012-01-01
Series:Lung India
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.lungindia.com/article.asp?issn=0970-2113;year=2012;volume=29;issue=3;spage=267;epage=269;aulast=Tavladaki
Description
Summary:Inhalation of foreign bodies, a leading cause of accidental death, is most common in preschool children. In this article we report our experience with a 5-year-old Greek girl who presented with a 24-hour history of sore throat, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Emergency bronchoscopy was performed and multiple small chewing gummi bear (HARIBO) particles impacted in the orifices of the right main bronchus and right lobar and segmentalinic bronchi were successfully removed and aspirated. Aspiration of gummi bears, which is for the first time reported, may cause a silent choking episode leading to life-threatening bronchi obstruction at multiple sites, even in children older than 4 years.
ISSN:0970-2113
0974-598X