TY - JOUR T1 - Long term follow up after inhalation of foreign bodies. JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood JO - Arch Dis Child SP - 619 LP - 621 DO - 10.1136/adc.65.6.619 VL - 65 IS - 6 AU - H Davies AU - I Gordon AU - D J Matthew AU - P Helms AU - I J Kenney AU - J E Lutkin AU - W Lenney Y1 - 1990/06/01 UR - http://adc.bmj.com/content/65/6/619.abstract N2 - The long term results of treatment of inhalation of foreign bodies in a district children's hospital and in a tertiary referral centre were reviewed by clinical assessment, chest radiography, and standard four view 81mKr ventilation/99mTc macroaggregated albumin perfusion imaging (V/Q lung scan). The overall incidence in the population served by the district hospital was roughly one in 14,000/year. Of the 12 children reviewed there, three had abnormal chest radiographs and four had abnormal V/Q scans as a result of inhalation of the foreign bodies. Of 21 children treated and reviewed at the referral centre, eight had abnormal chest radiographs, and 14 had abnormal V/Q lung scans. Three factors were assessed for prognostic importance: site of impaction, initial radiographic appearance, and time before removal. A child who had inhaled a foreign body into the left lung and who had collapse/consolidation on the initial chest radiograph was at greatest risk of long term complications. These children merit close follow up. ER -