Foreign Body

It is very common for children to inhale or ingest foreign bodies. While playing with small beads children tend to put the foreign bead in the nostrils. This can either result in difficulty in breathing or the bead gets stuck in the nose. It can generally not be seen and if you try to take it out with your fingers it gets pushed further. If not taken out infection can develop around it and a foul smelling pussy discharge starts coming out. The child should be taken to the doctor who uses surgical instruments to take the bead out. It is a simple procedure and just takes a few minutes. The other common foreign body is ingestion of a coin. This can either go in the respiratory tract- bronchi or in the gut. If it goes in the gut it gradually comes out over a period of few days in the stools. In either case, it can easily be seen on the X -Ray. Besides, the coin other small foreign bodies like small plastic pieces of toys or metallic nails etc can be inhaled. There is generally a sudden bout of coughing. According to Dr Mubina Agboatwalla - A Child Specialist in Karachi, the child may intermittently cough for a few minutes. The mother does not notice anything and the episode is forgotten. However, the child keeps on getting episodes of unexplained cough. 

Over a period of time, the foreign body gets impacted in the bronchioles. Infection develops around it. There are repeated episodes of respiratory tract infections, pneumonia etc as well repeated episodes of wheezing, bronchospasm etc. Sometimes, collapse of the lung lobe occurs too. If metallic the foreign body will be seen on X Ray. Otherwise bronchoscopy needs to be done, and the foreign body taken out with a bronchoscope under general anesthesia. The only treatment is removal of the foreign body.