What this deck covers
Inhaled Foreign Body in ten clinical teaching cases with worked explanations. Each case gives you a clinical vignette, four options, the correct answer, and an explanation of why each of the other three is wrong.
Diagnoses and management options tested
Across the ten cases you are asked to choose between options such as: Administer nebulized epinephrine, Total lung collapse, also called atelectasis, Pneumothorax on the contralateral side, Pulmonary edema, Right mainstem bronchus, Larynx or upper trachea, Left lower lobe bronchus, Suspect a retained foreign body, Diagnose cystic fibrosis immediately, Assume underlying immunodeficiency, Chest physiotherapy and postural drainage, Blind finger sweep to attempt removal, Watchful waiting, Rigid bronchoscopy under general anesthesia, Spontaneous resolution with no damage, Development of pulmonary hypertension, Bronchiectasis and localized lung damage, Acute myocardial infarction, A small plastic bead, A raw peanut or seed, A small metal screw, A piece of smooth glass, One to three years of age, Ten to twelve years of age, Fifteen to eighteen years of age, Birth to six months.
Clinical pearls from this deck
- A sudden choking episode while eating (the “penetration syndrome”) occurs in >90% of confirmed aspirations. Beware the deceptive silent interval — symptoms ease as the object settles distally and reflexes fatigue, causing dangerous delays. Current stability does NOT rule out aspiration; a witnessed choke on a high-risk food (peanuts) mandates imaging and a low threshold for bronchoscopy.
- Asymmetric exam is a key clue. The classic triad — sudden cough, unilateral decreased breath sounds, and localized wheeze — is present in ~65% (so its absence does not exclude FB). A monophonic, localized wheeze suggests a fixed obstruction, unlike the diffuse polyphonic wheeze of asthma/bronchiolitis. Normal breath sounds still do not rule out an FB, especially in the silent interval.
The ten worked cases in this deck, with the images and the full explanation of every option, are part of Pediatric Case Review membership. See what is included.
More from this system: all ent decks and question sets · pediatric reference values.
