Airway Foreign Body in Pediatric Patient: A Fishy Experience

p f r SPIRATION OF A foreign body (FB) in the respiratory tract constitutes an acute surgical emergency. Toddlers nd children are usual victims (most common age group 1-3 ears) because of their curiosity1 and newfound abilities of ocomotion.1,2 This age group often explores objects orally and acks molars for grinding hard food particles. Similarly, coorination of swallowing and cough reflex is not properly develped.1 Presentation is usually associated with alarming symptoms f severe respiratory distress of sudden onset, but an FB may go nnoticed if symptoms are mild or minimal, leading to comlications like impaction, recurrent pneumonia, lung abscess, nd bronchiectasis, requiring major surgery. Awareness of an irway FB as a cause of respiratory symptoms is usually low, oth among the population and general medical practitioners.3