Abstract
Aim of this study was to analyze the therapeutic approach with enhanced success of
bronchoscopy. We retrospectively analyzed the results of bronchoscopic extraction
of pen cap aspirations in our unit from 2000 to 2014. Out of 239 bronchoscopies performed
for foreign bodies in airways, there were 8 cases of pen cap aspirations. All 8 were
males and age ranged from 5 to 11 years. Seven cases had definitive history, while
one patient had a history of chronic respiratory ailment. The foreign bodies were
lodged in right and left bronchi in four cases each and seven had their open-end toward
the proximal airways. Bronchoscopic extraction was successful in seven patients. The
maneuver of rotating the optical forceps by 90 degrees so as to align the pen cap
with the vocal cords resulted in success in all the cases. One patient underwent thoracotomy
and bronchotomy for removal. Pen cap aspirations occur in school-going children. Aligning
the optical forceps with vocal cords during extraction avoids the need for tracheostomy
or thoracotomy.
Keywords
foreign body - pen cap aspirations - bronchoscopy - tracheostomy - thoracotomy
