Airway Complications from an Esophageal Foreign Body

Abstract EN

Introduction.

Foreign body impaction (FBI) in the esophagus can be a serious condition, which can have a high mortality among children and adults, if appropriate diagnosis and treatment are not instituted urgently.

80–90% of all foreign bodies trapped in the esophagus usually pass spontaneously through the digestive tract, without any medical or surgical intervention.

10–20% of them will need an endoscopic intervention.

Case Report.

We hereby present a case of a large chicken piece foreign body impaction in the esophagus in a 25-year-old male with mental retardation.

Patient developed hypoxemic respiratory failure requiring intubation.

The removal required endoscopic intervention.

Conclusions.

Foreign bodies trapped in the upper gastrointestinal tract are a serious condition that can be fatal if they are not managed correctly.

A correct diagnosis and treatment decrease the chances of complications.

Endoscopic treatment remains the gold standard for extracting foreign body impaction.