Foreign Bodies In The Larynx
Categories:
FOREIGN BODIES IN THE AIR AND FOOD PASSAGES
Sources:
A Manual Of Peroral Endoscopy And Laryngeal Surgery
Laryngeally lodged foreign bodies produce a wheezing respiration, the
quality of which is peculiar to the larynx and is readily localized to
this organ. If swelling or the size of the foreign body be sufficient
to produce dyspnea, inspiratory indrawing of the suprasternal notch,
supraclavicular fossae, costal interspaces and lower sternum will be
present. Cyanosis is only an accompaniment of suddenly produced
dyspnea;
he facies will therefore usually be anxious and pale, unless
the patient is seen immediately after the aspiration of the foreign
body. If labored breathing has been prolonged, and exhaustion
threatened, the heart's action will be irregular and weak. The foreign
body can be seen with the mirror, but a roentgenograph must
nevertheless be made, for the object may be of another nature than was
first thought. The roentgenograph will show its position, and from
this knowledge the plan of removal can be formulated. For example, a
straight pin may be so placed in the larynx that only a portion of its
shaft will be visible, the roentgenogram will tell where the head and
point are located, and which of these will be the more readily
disengaged. (See Chapter on Mechanical Problems.)