Flexible bronchoscopy in foreign body removal in the pediatric population: A Systematic Review

Background: Foreign body aspiration (FBA) in the tracheobronchial tree is a common problem in the pediatric population. Rigid bronchoscopic procedure is currently the gold standard method for treatment in pediatric patients, whereas recent reports present flexible bronchoscopy as an alternative method. The aim of this study was to summarize all available evidence regarding the application and the success rate of flexible bronchoscopy in foreign body (FB) removal. Methods: Systematic review of the use of flexible bronchoscopy as the first-line treatment in FBA cases in PubMed from 2001 to 2021. Results: Out of 243 citations, 23 studies were included on the use of flexible bronchoscopic procedure as a treatment of choice in 2,587 children with FBA. The FBs were successfully removed in 2,254/2,587 (87.1%) patients with a low complication rate. The majority of FBs retrieved were organic materials 1,073/1,370 (78.3%), and they were most commonly lodged in the right bronchial tree 708/1,401 (50.5%). General anesthesia was applied in most studies (14/23) before proceeding to a flexible bronchoscopy and laryngeal mask airways (LMAs) were mostly used (10/23 studies) to secure the airway during the procedure. Ancillary equipment, usually forceps 1,544/1808 (85.4%) assisted in the FB retrieval. Conclusion: The use of flexible bronchoscopy is shown to be a feasible and safe alternative therapeutic procedure in FBA cases. There is a need for development of extraction equipment and techniques to assist the procedure. Finally, future studies focusing on the comparison between clinical outcomes of flexible and rigid bronchoscopies are necessary.