Characteristics of correct diagnosis versus misdiagnosis of paediatric tracheobronchial foreign body

Purpose To characterize and compare children with correct diagnosis (CD) and misdiagnosis (MD) of tracheobronchial foreign body (TBFB). Methods A retrospective study was performed to review the medical records of children with CD group and MD group of TBFB. CD was defined when TBFB was identified during the first hospital visit. Otherwise, MD was considered. Demographic information, including gender, age, and clinical information, including clinical presentations and characteristics of foreign bodies, were retrieved. These characteristics were compared between two groups by Student’s t-test or Wilcoxon two-sample test, or Chi-square analysis or Fisher’s exact test, when appropriate. Results A total of 462 children with final diagnosis of TBFB were identified, with 276 children having CD and 186 children having MD. The most common location to identify the TBFB was right main bronchus in both CD and MD groups. Children with the previous history of respiratory tract foreign body were more likely to receive the CD. Children in MD group were more likely to have fever, as well as wheezing and crackles during physical examination. They were more likely to have pneumonia. Most common TBFB were peanuts. The majority of the TBFB were removed by the flexible bronchoscope coupled with forceps. Conclusion Careful history taking and physical examination, especially for those children with unclear causes for their pneumonia or asthma, or children with no improvement on the treatments, should be performed to rule out the possibility of TBFB. Bronchoscopy should be performed if necessary.