Airway foreign body aspiration in children can lead to accidental death, due to the foreign body itself or the removal procedure. Depending on its location, removal of the foreign body can be challenging. Here, we present a case of successful removal of a foreign body from the left upper lobar bronchus via ventilating bronchoscopy with a rigid bronchoscope and Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter. Tracheobronchial foreign bodies in locations that are difficult to reach with forceps, due to an acute angle or the small diameter of the pediatric bronchial tree, can be effectively removed with a Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We aim to explore the effects of residual auditory steady state response (ASSR) on cochlear implantation (CI) outcomes in children lacking auditory brainstem responses (ABRs). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of child CI recipients lacking ABRs. All ears were divided into two groups: with residual ASSR and without ASSR. For each frequency, the T- and C-levels and the electrical dynamic ranges of postoperative 3-month and 1-year mappings were compared between the groups. To evaluate speech perception, patients who received simultaneous bilateral CIs were divided into two groups: group 1 exhibited responses at all frequencies in both ears; in group 2, at least one ear evidenced no response. The Categories of Auditory Perception (CAP) and Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale (IT-MAIS) scores were compared between the groups. RESULTS: We enrolled 16 patients. At 2 kHz, the postoperative 3-month and 1-year T-levels of patients with residual hearing were lower than those of hearing loss group (p=0.001, p=0.035). In residual hearing group, the ASSR threshold correlated positively with the postoperative 1-year T-level (p=0.012, R² =0.276) and C-level (p=0.002, R² =0.374). Of 10 simultaneous bilateral CI recipients, 5 exhibited ASSRs at all frequencies and the other 5 showed no response at ≥1 frequency. The latter had higher CAP scores at the postoperative 1-year (p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: In children exhibiting hearing loss in ABR testing, residual hearing at 2 kHz ASSR correlated positively with the post-CI T-level. Those with ASSRs at all frequencies had significantly lower CAP scores at the postoperative 1year. CI should not be delayed when marginal residual hearing is evident in ASSR.
Auditory Perception ; Child ; Cochlear Implantation ; Cochlear Implants ; Ear ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory ; Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; Hearing ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Speech Perception