Foreign Body Aspiration in Adult: Removing Aspirated Foreign Body using Flexible Bronchoscopy in Emergency Department

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) possess a catastrophic life-threatening event. Faint presentation with a sparsity of radiological findings in adult FBA made the clinical suspicion extremely crucial. We describe a case of FBA in an adult, presenting with loss of consciousness and oxygen desaturation. A 31-year-old male who was tetraplegic with underlying seventh cervical vertebral fracture, presented to the Emergency Department after a sudden loss of consciousness and acute oxygen desaturation secondary to aspiration of a foreign body. This was the case of atypical presentation of FBA in a patient diagnosed with a flexible bronchoscope in the Emergency Department. FBA often goes unnoticed in adults, particularly if it does not cause asphyxiation. Clinician utmost index of suspicion is needed especially for high-risk patients presenting with atypical symptoms. Flexible and rigid bronchoscopy are the cornerstone of both diagnosis and treatment of patients with suspected FBA. In adults, the clinical presentation of non-asphyxiating foreign bodies in the airway is variable. High clinical index of suspicion is the most valuable diagnostic factor. Although rigid bronchoscopy continues to be the preferred instrument for removal of non-asphyxiating foreign bodies in the airways in most hospitals, a flexible fibre optic bronchoscope is also capable in providing therapeutic option is selected at times.