Our Anesthesia Experiences in the Tracheobronchial Foreign Body Aspirations of Pediatric Patients During Rigid Bronchoscopy

Objective: Bronchoscopy is the gold standard in the diagnosis and treatment of tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration (TBFBA) in children. Rigid bronchoscopy (RB) under general anesthesia is generally preferred in children. In this article, our anesthesia experiences during rigid bronchoscopy performed for tracheobronchial foreign body aspiration and removal of foreign bodies in children are shared. Methods: The medical records of all patients aged between 0-18 years who underwent RB under general anesthesia due to suspicion of TBFBA between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: TBFBA was more common in boys and organic foreign body aspiration was significantly higher in patients between 13-36 months of age. Patients most frequently presented with cough and wheezing. Most of them were operated between 8 am and 4 pm. TFBs were localized in the right and left main bronchi at a similar rate. Anesthesia induction was usually achieved with iv. propofol, total intravenous anesthesia and sevoflurane inhalation was administered for maintenance of anesthesia. Except for proximally located TBFBs, intermediate-or short-acting muscle relaxants were applied to most of the cases depending on the duration of the procedure. Three patients were intubated postoperatively and transferred to intensive care unit. Respiratory distress responded to medical treatment in 25 patients. No cardiac arrest or death occurred during the procedure. Conclusion: RB and anesthesia procedure for TBYCA requires experience. There is no clear recommendation about premedication, the use of muscle relaxants should be evaluated according to the localization of TBYC. In anesthesia management, intravenous or inhalation anesthetics can be used.