Magnet Aspiration Into the Distal Lung of a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report

Foreign body (FB) aspiration is one of the most common life-threatening emergencies in children and one of the leading causes of mortality in the pediatric population. Most commonly, aspirated items are organic materials, such as nuts and seeds. Inorganic objects are usually plastic or metal. Symptoms of aspiration can vary depending on the location, area and amount of blockage, and object size and shape. Because of the difficult airway anatomy of children, a multidisciplinary approach - including otolaryngology, pulmonology, anesthesia, and general surgery - for the removal of airway FBs is necessary and prudent to avoid more invasive surgical involvement. This report discusses a nine-year-old male who aspirated two ball magnets, which became lodged in his tracheobronchial tree and required a multidisciplinary approach for removal.