Routine Chest X-ray Post Rigid Bronchoscopy for Foreign Body Extraction: is it Necessary?

• Pre-operative assessment:

  1. History taking including if there was a definite history of foreign body inhalation or not.
  2. Clinical examination including symptomatology (such as the presence or absence of choking, cyanosis, and difficulty in breathing) and Clinical signs, such as the presence or absence of air entry, crept, and rhonchi.
  3. Radiological signs, such as plain chest X-ray findings.
• operation: all patients underwent rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia. We used bronchoscopes of the rigid type to perform bronchoscopy. We determined the size of the bronchoscope according to the child's age. After induction of intravenous anesthesia, we performed direct laryngoscopy and inserted the bronchoscope with the help of the laryngoscope in a rotating manner and used a 0-degree telescope to locate the foreign body. Once identified, we used optical forceps to hold and to remove the foreign body. After extraction of the foreign body, we repeated bronchoscopy to check for any remaining foreign bodies as well as to examine the tracheobronchial tree for any trauma.
• Post-operative assessment:

All patients will be under observation for at least an hour after the procedure.

All patients will receive ATROVENT and PULMICORT after the procedure through a nebulizer.

All patients will be examined clinically and vital signs will be assessed be before discharge CXR will be done only if there are critical signs as cyanosis, absent or decreased air entery on one side or both or surgical emphysema Strict instructions, that if any symptoms such as cyanosis or difficulty of breathing occur, to go the nearest health care provider.