FORGOTTEN FOREIGN BODIES OF THE AIRWAY TO BE DATE OF DIAGNOSIS IN AN ADULT AT OTOLARYNGOLOGY DEPARTMENT HUE CENTRAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

Background: Foreign bodies of the airway are objects lodged in the airways from the larynx to the segmental bronchi. This condition is quite common in clinical practice in children, is rarely seen in adults, and diagnosis can be delayed in the elderly. Foreign bodies of the airway can be detected immediately with the infiltrative syndrome or years after the onset of persistent complications. As a result, we report a case of neglected foreign body of the airway was discovered late for more than 15 years due to mistake in diagnosis, lack of medical knowledge in initial management and subjective judgment on the part of the patient. Case report: A 75-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital because of a persistent cough. History: about 15 years ago, the patient suspected of choking on Sapote nut while eating. The patient then presented with transient infiltration syndrome. The patient did not go to the doctor but stayed at home to monitor, from then on, sometimes a few months later, the patient showed signs of recurrent lower respiratory tract infections. The patient went to the local medical facility but could not detect any foreign body in the airway. About 1 month before admission, the patient coughed with little blood, so a CT scan of the lung was performed to detect foreign bodies. Diagnosis: Chronic bronchitis/ Monitor for forgotten foreign body of the airway in left main bronchus.

The patient underwent bronchoscopy with rigid and flexible tubes to remove the entire foreign body. At the end of surgery, the patient was completely stable and there were no regrettable complications. Conclusion: Foreign bodies of the airway is an acute disease that endangers the patient's life. The diagnosis of foreign bodies of the airway requires an ENT specialist, and taking a history of foreign body exposure with the invasive syndrome is crucial to avoid forgotten airway foreign bodies too long causes chronic complications that affect the patient's quality of life. The combination of two methods of bronchoscopy with rigid and flexible tubes brings optimal efficiency in removing foreign bodies in the airway, ensuring the removal of all foreign bodies, controlling the entire surgical field, and increasing the success rate to the highest level