Tracheobronchial foreign bodies in the Middle East. A Baghdad study.

From January 1977 to December 1986, 2170 infants and children were referred to the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Medical City Teaching Hospital in Baghdad because of suspected aspiration of tracheobronchial foreign bodies. Bronchoscopic examination was performed in all of them, and a foreign body was found in 1822 (83.96%) patients. The commonest object was a watermelon seed, seen in 1208 (66.3%) patients. Endoscopic removal was achieved in nearly all patients, with thoracotomy being needed in only four. Complications included laryngeal edema in 380 patients, 12 of whom required tracheostomy, and hypoxic cardiac arrest in 10 patients, eight of whom were successfully resuscitated.