Open AccessNearly missed laryngeal foreign body
Author(s) -
Khan Abdullah
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of the american college of emergency physicians open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2688-1152
DOI - 10.1002/emp2.12662
Subject(s) - epiglottis , foreign body , medicine , larynx , foreign bodies , abdomen , radiology , foreign body aspiration , airway , emergency department , radiography , surgery , general surgery , psychiatry
Foreign body ingestion and aspiration can present as a life‐threatening emergency in children. These foreign bodies are diagnosed based on history, physical exam, and focused radiography to reduce the risk of excessive radiation. We describe a case of a 3‐year‐old child who ingested magnetic beads and presented to the emergency department with no symptoms. On a single view x‐ray of chest and abdomen, the magnetic beads were identified in the abdomen but a closer look at these single view x‐rays raised a suspicion of additional foreign bodies in the larynx. A dedicated x‐ray of the neck identified 2 more magnetic beads locked with each other on either side of the epiglottis. These laryngeal magnetic beads were nearly missed on initial x‐rays, especially because the child had no symptoms of upper airway obstruction. This case report provides further evidence that in the evaluation of radiopaque foreign bodies in children we should strongly consider “nose to rectum” x‐rays.