An Unusual Tracheobronchial Iatrogenic Foreign Body-Airway Exchange Catheter

Treating foreign bodies in the airway is a challenging clinical problem for clinicians. Reports on iatrogenic foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree (TBT) are rare. The physicians usually use an airway exchange catheter (AEC) as a guidewire to replace the endotracheal tube for prolonged intubated patients who refuse tracheostomies. However, the aging of the catheter material may make it fragile and vulnerable. Herein, we report a rare case of a broken guidewire, AEC, in the TBT after replacement of the endotracheal tube. We recommend the physicians perform a check-up for length and fragility of the AEC before and after endotracheal tube replacement.