RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 All that wheezes is not asthma: a 6-year-old with foreign body aspiration and no suggestive history
JF BMJ Case Reports
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP bcr2012006640
DO 10.1136/bcr-2012-006640
VO 2012
A1 Amy Maguire
A1 Saikiran Gopalakaje
A1 Katherine Eastham
YR 2012
UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2012/bcr-2012-006640.abstract
AB The authors report the case of a 6-year-old girl, presenting with a 4-month history of wheeze associated with barking cough which frequently became wet requiring antibiotics. Her care was transferred to a paediatrician with specialist interest in paediatric respiratory medicine when she had continued symptoms despite bronchodilators and oral steroids for suspected asthma. Spirometry showed a forced expiratory volume 1 of 79% with no evidence of reversibility. The child was investigated for chronic wet cough. Immunoglobulins, sweat test and chest x-ray were all normal. There was no history suggestive of foreign body aspiration (FBA). Tracheomalacia was considered in view of the nature of the cough. The recurrence of an unusual inspiratory noise prompted referral for bronchoscopy. A small piece of plastic tube was removed from the bronchus intermedius. All symptoms resolved. The importance of clinical assessment to ascertain ‘wheeze’ when acutely unwell is emphasised. Current literature concerning FBA is reviewed.