This document discusses foreign body aspiration, which most commonly occurs in children ages 1-5 years old when objects are inhaled into the respiratory tract. Common items aspirated include nuts, pins, and small toys. Symptoms may include coughing, wheezing, and cyanosis. Diagnosis involves history, physical exam, and imaging like chest x-rays or bronchoscopy. Treatment requires prompt removal of the object via procedures like bronchoscopy. Nursing care focuses on prevention through anticipatory guidance and recognizing signs of distress, as well as supporting the child during diagnostic and treatment procedures.

1. FOREIGN BODY
ASPIRATION
BY:Mr.Ganesh V. Naik
II year MSc(N)
Pediatric Dept
SDM Institute of
Nursing Science’s
Dharawad

2. INTRODUCTION
 Foreign body aspiration is seen most
frequently in children ages 6months 1 to
5years.
 Foreign bodies may be found in the larynx,
trachea or bronchi.
 They include non-organic (buttons, metallic
objects) or organic foreign bodies(eatables,
peanuts etc).
 Childrens who have objects in their mouth
while they are playing, running or laughing
at risk.

3. DEFINITION
Foreign body aspiration is a condition
occurs when any solid or liquid substance
is inhaled into the respiratory tract.

4. TYPES
Laryngeal foreign bodies:
• These manifest with croupy or horse
cough, aphonia, haemoptysis, dysphonia,
wheezing and cyanosis.
• Fatal aspiration may occur due to the
foreign body or its inflammatory reaction.

5. CONT……
Tracheal foreign bodies:
 These manifests as cough,
hoarseness, dyspnoea and cyanosis

6. CONT…..
Bronchial foreign bodies:
 Cough, wheeze, blood streaked
sputum may occur.
 History of choking, gagging
paroxysmal coughing, history of
eating substances like groundnuts etc
is vital in the diagnosis.
 On examination tracheal shift,
decreased breath sounds on side of
the foreign body aspiration occurs.

7. INCIDENCE
 Childhood aspiration can occur at any
age. But it occur most frequently in
children, 1 to 3 years of age.
 Forty percent of accidental death in
home are caused by foreign body
aspiration.

8. ETIOLOGY
 Children’s curiosity, oral needs and
occasionally lack of supervision
contribute the occurrence of foreign
body aspiration

9. COMMON ITEMS OF
ASPIRATION
 Nuts
 Pins
 Screws
 Coins
 Seeds
 Grapes
 Ear rings
 Small toys

10. CONT….
 Chunks of food
 Parts of toys
 Popcorn
 Carrots
 Hard candy
 Latex balloons

11. PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
 Most foreign bodies become lodged in
the bronchi.
 The right main bronchus is a more
common site than the left main bronchus
because of its anatomic development.
 Objects lodged in the larynx cause
edema and inflammation.
 Bronchial obstruction manifests as
obstructive emphysema, pneumonia or
atelectasis.

12. CONT…..
 Failure to remove obstructing foreign
objects is almost always fatal.
 Most can be removed mechanically
can lead to aspiration pneumonia and
airway trauma.

13. CLINICAL MANIFESTATION
Immediate signs and symptoms
include:
• Sudden violent coughing
• Gagging
• Wheezing
• Vomiting
• Brief episode of apnea
• Possibly cyanosis

14. CONT…..
After aspirating a foreign object the
child may remain asymptomatic for
hours or weeks.
If the object is not found and removed
signs and symptoms of tracheal
obstruction include:
 Chocking
 Dysphagia
 Hoarseness

15. CONT…..
 Croupy cough
 Stridor
 Possibly dyspnoea and cyanosis
 Wheezing
 Unilaterally decreased breath sound
 Pneumonitis
 Possibly respiratory arrest

16. DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
 History collection
 Physical examination
 Laryngeal foreign bodies:
X-ray and direct laryngoscopy reveal
the foreign body.
• Tracheal foreign bodies:
Bronchoscopy
Chest X-ray required to find foreign
body.

17. CONT……
Bronchial foreign body
 Chest X-ray
 Fluroscopy used to reveal presence of
foreign object in bronchus

18. MANAGEMENT
 Laryngeal foreign body needs to be
removed by rigid endoscope.
 Tracheotomy may be required with severe
degree of dyspnea.
 Bronchoscopy is necessary to removal of
the bronchial and tracheal foreign body.
 Rarely thoractotomy may be required.

19. CONT…..
 Chest physiotherapy and
bronchodilators should not be given.
 Antibiotics are needed for secondary
infections.

20. NURSING CARE
MANAGEMENT
 A major role of nurse is to recognize
the signs of foreign body aspiration
and implement immediate measures
to relieve the obstruction.
 Choking on food or other material
should not be fatal.
 Two simple procedures-Back blows
and the Heimlich maneuver which can
used by health profesionals can save
lives.

21. CONT…..
 To aid a child who is choking nurses
need to recognize the signs of
distress.
 Not every child who gags or coughs
while eating truly choking
 The most important nursing
intervention related foreign body
aspiration is prevention

22. PREVENTION
Anticipatory guidance for families.
 Avoid letting their child play with toys
with small parts and to keep coins and
other small objects out of the reach of
children.
 Teach parents not to feed peanuts and
popcorn to their child until he or she is
atleast 3years old.

23. CONT…
 When children progress to table food
teach parents to chop all food. So that they
are small enough to pass down the
trachea.
 Carrots, grapes and hot dogs should be cut
into small pieces.
 Harmful liquids should be kept out of the
reach of children

24.  Thank you