Factors Associated with Removal of Impactted Fishbone in Children, Suspected Ingestion

PURPOSE The management and clinical course in pediatric patients who had ingested foreign body were investigated retrospectively to evaluate the frequency and factor associated with successful removal of fishbone foreign body. METHODS Based on the medical records of patients younger than 15 years old who visited emergency room because of foreign body ingestion from January 1999 to December 2012, the authors reviewed clinical characteristics including type of ingested foreign bodies, time to visits, managements and complications. RESULTS Fishbone (50.1%) was the most common ingested foreign body in children. Among 416 patients with ingested fishbone, 245 (58.9%) were identified and removed using laryngoscope, rigid or flexible endoscope from pharynx or upper esophagus by otolaryngologists and pediatric gastroenterologists. The kind of ingested fish bone in children was diverse. The mean age of identified and removed fishbone group was 7.39 years old, and higher than that of unidentified fishbone group (5.81 years old, p<0.001). Identified and removed fishbone group had shorter time until hospital visit than the unidentified fishbone group (2.03 vs. 6.47 hours, p<0.001). No complication due to ingested fishbone or procedure occurred. CONCLUSION Older age and shorter time from accident to hospital visit were the different factors between success and failure on removal of ingested fish bone in children.