Determinants of positive rigid bronchoscopy for suspected organic foreign body aspiration in children younger than five years.

Purpose: Rigid bronchoscopy is widely used for diagnosis and treatment of foreign body aspiration (FBA) in children, but negative results can be reported, especially with radiolucent organic FBA. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features and pre-procedure predictors of organic FBA in children under 5 years of age.

Methods: Children aged less than 5 years old who underwent rigid bronchoscopy for suspected organic FBA were retrospectively evaluated for demographics, history of aspiration, relevant clinical symptoms and signs, radiological findings, in addition to type and location of foreign body (FB).