Very common cause of death. Removal by direct laryngoscopy may be feasible in partial laryngeal obstruction, but only when equipment for emergency laryngoscopy or bronchoscopy are immediately at hand.
Tracheotomy is the most reliable treatment.
Cricothyroidotomy may be performed with any available sharp object. Unilateral expiratory wheeze Recurrent infections in one lobe Air trapping Diagnosis - Characteristic history and physical is suggestive and requires bronchoscopic evaluation. X-ray may demonstrate air trapping, localized infection, or in chronic cases, bronchiectasis. Foreign body seen only if it is radiopaque Treatment - Rigid bronchoscopy. The worst objects are ones like pinto beans that can swell or ones like nuts and crayons that can fragment into smaller pieces with attempts to remove them.