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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.)



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