Objectives: To review alternative surgical and anaesthetic options in the management of foreign bodies lodged in the tracheobronchial tree in children aged below 10 years.
Design: A five year retrospective secondary data analysis.
Setting: Three hospitals based in Eldoret Municipality, Kenya.
Main outcome measures: Outcome variables included morbidity and mortality.
Results: Of the thirty two children studied, 74.1% had bronchoscopy and 25.9% thoracotomy. The overall mortality rate was 3.3%.
Conclusion: Foreign bodies in the tracheo-bronchial tree are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children aged below 10 years. In settings where appropriate equipment is inadequate, timely thoracotomy may be life saving.