Avoiding unnecessary bronchoscopy in children with suspected foreign body aspiration using computed tomography

This study looked at alternative options to bronchoscopy in foreign body aspiration. The study included children and adolescents 18 years and younger between the ages of 2012-2018. 142 subjects were evaluated for possible aspiration of foreign body in this study. The average age of the patients included was 1.8 years old. 48.1% were worked up with bronchoscopy, while 51.9% received both CHest CT plus or minus bronchoscopy. 18 of 20 patients that received CT were found to be positive for FBA, of which 17 had foreign body on bronchoscopy. 16 had the foreign body location accurately found on CT prior to bronchoscopy. Subjects that had bronchoscopy alone were not more likely to have complications compared to those that had CT prior to bronchoscopy. There was no significant difference noted between patients that had bronchoscopy alone versus CT prior to bronchoscopy. However, individuals received CT results sooner than bronchoscopy was performed on average.