Patients often ask the question: “Why don’t they prescribe x-rays for bronchitis, everything would become clear right away?” The thing is that this method is not effective for bronchitis. Bronchitis is not visible on an x-ray.
X-ray is helper method respiratory examinations. It allows you to diagnose or exclude obstruction or pneumonia, as well as tuberculosis or oncology. This is because X-rays do not image or show the bronchi. An X-ray can only show indirect pathologies. Therefore, it is impossible to diagnose bronchitis using an x-ray. Even an experienced pulmonologist can assume bronchitis by exclusion. If there are no lung pathologies, then the symptoms can be attributed to bronchitis.
This happens because it is activated the immune system during any inflammatory process, so-called inflammatory mediators are released into the blood. It helps increase vascular permeability and migration immune cells to the site of pathology. This provokes the development of edema and thickening of the walls of the bronchi, which reduces visibility when examined with X-rays.
An X-ray image shows each organ differently; the human heart generally looks like a spot of light. Healthy lungs have a uniform color in the image; if pathology is present, it will appear as spots of varying intensity. Dark-colored lesions on the lungs indicate swelling and inflammation.
Fluorography does not show the full picture of the disease; this diagnostic method is used as a preventive examination. From it you can find out what condition the organ tissues are in, see fibrosis and foreign agents. Fluorography is less dangerous in terms of radiation exposure, but if a pathology is detected, the doctor still prescribes an x-ray chest.
What does bronchitis look like in a picture and how to diagnose it:
- the pattern of the lungs is changed - small vessels are invisible;
- you can see areas of tissue collapse;
- the root of the lung loses its clear contour and enlarges;
- the walls of the bronchi become thickened;
- foci of infiltrates become noticeable;
- the contour loses its clarity;
- areas of tissue without blood vessels may be noticeable;
- light bubbles may be localized in the lower part of the lungs, light color speaks of their airiness.
If the radiologist’s professional language is translated into simple language that anyone can understand, then from the image you can find out whether pulmonary edema whether there is scar tissue or whether the bronchi are deformed.
An x-ray will not show bronchitis itself, it will display diffuse changes in tissues, will detect changes in the shape and contents of the respiratory organs. If bronchitis is advanced, you may notice signs of emphysema.
With bronchitis, the image shows deformation (curvature) of the bronchi, as well as proliferation connective tissue. For chronic bronchitis the area pathological changes larger, so it can be seen better in the photo. The basal lumens of the lungs are noticeable, which are shaded from above by narrow stripes; in general, the pattern resembles rails.
If fibrosis occurs, then the pattern of the lungs becomes reticular; this indicator is used to determine acute or chronic bronchitis. If there is a narrowing of the lumen in the bronchial ducts, the lung tissue becomes airy, and the image allows this to be determined.
Bronchitis is severe inflammatory disease bronchi. It has been found that men are more likely to be affected by this disease than women. At risk are older people, smokers and professions associated with respiratory clogging.
What does obstructive bronchitis look like on a picture?
A chest x-ray can detect obstruction. This dangerous symptom, which characterizes the process of blockage of the airways and impaired ventilation of the lungs. With obstructive bronchitis, the image picture changes somewhat, everything listed signs complemented by the following characteristics:
- noticeable thickening and displacement of the diaphragm;
- the heart is located vertically, it has a bad effect on the main organ;
- the lung tissues become transparent and the air is not noticeable;
- there is a noticeable deterioration in blood supply, which causes congestion in the lungs;
- the pattern of the lungs becomes focal, curvature is noticeable in the lower lobe;
- The bronchi are very condensed, the structure is damaged;
- the contours are very blurred, the drawing bronchial tree clearly expressed.
If the diagnosis is difficult or tuberculosis is suspected, an X-ray in several planes or an MRI of the chest is prescribed. In addition, an x-ray can show a number of indirect symptoms that will allow a more accurate diagnosis.
It is important to understand what a person’s heart should look like in an image with bronchitis. This will help identify pulmonary hypertension. With bronchitis, the size of the heart decreases due to impaired circulation in the pulmonary circle, but with other pathologies this does not happen.
If the bronchitis is simple and not complicated by obstruction, it will not be visible on the image. Therefore, to be referred for an x-ray, there must be certain indicators:
- high temperature accompanied by fever and shortness of breath;
- laboratory tests showed changes in blood composition;
- treatment has already been carried out previously, but it turned out to be ineffective;
- the treatment has been carried out, but it is necessary to consolidate the result and check whether there are any hidden inflammatory processes left.
Contraindications
X-rays have no contraindications as such. There are isolated cases when a person is in serious condition. If the need for x-rays remains, the procedure is performed after stabilization of the patient's condition.
During pregnancy, in order not to irradiate the fetus, x-rays are not prescribed. But if the threat to the mother’s health is significant, the study is carried out by covering the abdomen with a special screen.
Many people are interested in how many safe radiation sessions can be performed annually. It depends on the doctor's indications and recommendations. Normal radiation exposure for humans is 100 roentgens per year.
If difficulties arise in diagnosing the disease, bronchography is performed. This procedure is performed extremely rarely, under local anesthesia. A warm contrast agent is injected into the patient's bronchi, and with the help of an x-ray, the doctor can see what is happening in the bronchi. respiratory tract, what is the severity of the pathology, where is it localized and what changes have occurred.
Bronchography today provides the most accurate picture of pathologies in the respiratory organs. In addition, bronchoscopy is performed, which also allows you to study the bronchi from the inside. But all these measures are not very pleasant, so they are prescribed only in extreme cases.
If bronchitis has been diagnosed using X-ray studies, the doctor will prescribe treatment, which usually has a positive prognosis. The main thing is to contact the clinic in a timely manner.
Bronchitis is quite frequent illness which many people suffer from. The formation of the disease can occur due to smoking, occupational hazards, inhalation of dust or paint fumes, small metal particles, and natural irritants (pollen and animal dander). Sometimes, when bronchitis is suspected, the doctor orders the patient to undergo X-ray examination. In this article we will tell you why an X-ray of the lungs is taken for bronchitis and what this disease will look like on it.
Why is x-ray prescribed for inflammation of the bronchi?
X-ray is additional method examinations of the respiratory system. It can be used to diagnose or exclude the presence of obstruction or pneumonia, as well as tuberculosis or cancer. This is dictated by the fact that the rays of the X-ray machine do not image or show the bronchi. The photographs show only a side ailment. So it is impossible to diagnose bronchitis using an x-ray examination. Even an experienced pulmonologist will be able to diagnose this disease only by excluding other possible ailments.
In the absence of problems with the lungs, we can confidently attribute the symptoms to inflammation of the bronchi.
This occurs due to the activation of the immune system during any inflammatory process, when so-called inflammatory mediators are released into the bloodstream. They help increase vascular permeability and the movement of immune cells to the pathological area. As a result, edema forms and the bronchial walls thicken, which entails a decrease in visibility during examination with an X-ray machine.
In what cases is a chest x-ray prescribed if bronchitis is suspected?
X-ray of the bronchi is prescribed in the following situations:
- In the presence of external symptoms: long-term fever (especially when the temperature rises in the evenings); chills, increased sweating, cough (with or without sputum production), shortness of breath.
- If the structure of the blood changes (leukocytes appear in significant numbers, mainly “young forms”, the ESR accelerates - this is a sign that inflammation is progressing in the body).
- When previous therapeutic methods were ineffective (if they did not take an x-ray immediately).
- To check how effectively the treatment worked.
In what cases is x-ray contraindicated?
Patients are interested in how often such examinations can be carried out so as not to harm their health? Since during each examination using an X-ray machine, a person is exposed to radiation.
Irradiation with a dose of up to 1 m3v over the course of a year does not cause harm (during an X-ray of the lungs, a person receives a dose of 0.3-3 m3v).
What does an x-ray show for bronchitis?
On X-ray photographs, all organs are displayed in different ways; the heart on an X-ray looks like a spot of light. If the lungs are healthy, the same type of shade is visible in the image; if there is an illness, it is displayed in the form of spots of different saturation. If dark spots appear on an x-ray during bronchitis, it means that edema and inflammation are forming in the lungs.
On fluorography it is impossible to see the full picture of the disease, this method diagnostics is used in the form of preventive research. With its help, they learn about the condition of the lung tissue, and it is also possible to consider the presence of fibrosis and foreign agents. Such a diagnosis does not irradiate a person so much, but if a disease is detected, the doctor will still prescribe x-ray examination chest organs.
What does bronchitis look like on x-ray and how is it diagnosed:
- The image of the lungs changes - small vessels become invisible.
- It is possible to examine areas where tissues are falling.
- The roots of the lungs lose their clarity of outline and become larger.
- The walls of the bronchi thicken.
- Infiltration foci can be seen.
- The outlines lose their clarity.
- You can notice areas of tissue where there are no vessels.
- Light-colored bubbles may be localized in the lower lobes of the organ, which is evidence of their weightlessness.
Translating the language of radiologists into the common language, we can say this: the image will show the presence of edema in the lungs, scars or deformation of the bronchi.
Bronchitis itself cannot be seen on an x-ray; it will show scattered changes in the tissues, due to which changes in the form and content of the respiratory organs are detected. With advanced bronchitis, emphysema becomes noticeable.
If fibrosis is present, the image looks like a mesh, this indicator is used to determine acute or Chronical bronchitis. When the lumens in the bronchial ducts narrow, airiness of the lung tissue occurs, which can be seen in the image.
X-ray picture of obstructive bronchitis
X-ray examination of the sternum makes it possible to examine the presence of obstruction. This dangerous indicator is characterized by blockage of the respiratory system, as a result, ventilation in the lungs is disrupted. If available obstructive bronchitis, the picture changes slightly, all the named indicators complement the following differences:
- The diaphragm thickens and shifts significantly.
- The position of the heart becomes vertical, which negatively affects the main organ.
- The covers of the lungs become transparent and the air cannot be seen.
- The blood supply deteriorates significantly, which leads to congestion in the lungs.
- The image of the lung is focal; curvature can be seen in the lower part.
- The bronchi become denser and their structure is disrupted.
- The outline is very vague, but the image of the bronchial tree is clearly expressed.
If there is a suspicion of tuberculosis, an X-ray examination in several projections or an MRI of the sternum is prescribed. In addition, X-rays can show some indirect signs allowing for accurate diagnosis of the disease.
What does chronic bronchitis look like on x-ray:
- Bronchial lumens increase.
- The walls of the bronchi thicken (mainly due to the inflammatory process).
- The arterial lumen narrows.
- Local areas of compression of lung tissue appear.
The use of bronchography during x-ray examination
Bronchography is a diagnostic method that is carried out by introducing contrast. With such an examination, the most complete information is obtained about the structure of the respiratory system and the presence of any formations. This method is the most informative at the moment. However, bronchography is performed after bronchoscopy (examination using transillumination). Such a diagnosis is prescribed as a last resort, since it can cause serious discomfort to a person.
Bronchography is performed after local anesthesia. The patient is injected with a warm contrast agent, which is monitored on an X-ray screen.
If bronchitis is diagnosed using an x-ray, the doctor prescribes therapeutic methods, which, as a rule, are effective. The main thing is that the patient seeks medical help in time.
40-year-old Oksana Trotsenko lives in Chernigov, works as a salesperson at the Station market. When she was two years old, she grabbed a handful of black seeds and swallowed them all. The seeds entered the right lung. At the hospital, Oksana made an incision on her right side and took out the seeds. But there was only one left. Oksana lived with her for thirty years - from two to thirty-two. She took the cut out and preserved seeds to her mother in Bakhmach. There were two small scars on the ribs. On the back, near the shoulder blade, there is a scar ten centimeters long. A third of the lung had to be removed. In severe frosts, Oksana does not go to work. He is afraid of catching a cold in his lungs. 
“The surgeon began to tell me that he had already performed such an operation on a little girl. So it was me!”
— I come from Bakhmach. I felt so bad that the Bakhmach doctors sent me to Chernigov,” recalls Oksana Trotsenko. “Everyone thought I had pneumonia.” They treated him for it. Later they determined that I had right lung seeds. Easy start fester.
I had surgery. The tubes were inserted into the side. Along with the pus, several seeds with shells came out. But apparently there was only one left. She got stuck near the bronchi. Nobody noticed her. I lived with her for thirty years.
Eight years ago it became bad. I went with high temperature. Throat bleeding began. She was coughing up blood. I was very scared. I thought it was tuberculosis. I had fluorography done several times. She didn't show anything. The tests were good. I couldn't get a diagnosis for two years. Then they did a bronchoscopy. That's when they noticed that I had a small tumor. Both in childhood and eight years ago, the operation was performed by Ilya Kolesnik, a surgeon from a tuberculosis clinic.
The incision was made from the back. About ten centimeters long. At the beginning of the operation, Ilya Ilyich thought to cut out only the tumor. But then he decided to cut out a third of his lung. So that after a couple of years it doesn’t start to fester. I made an incision where the tumor was. And there is a seed. After the operation, he began to tell me that he had already performed such an operation on a little girl. I told him it was me.
— Has the seed in your lungs begun to sprout?
- No. So it lay there. They put it in alcohol for me. I took it home. Then she took me to Bakhmach and gave it to my mother. I thought all my troubles were behind me, no more operations. I went to get checked. And suddenly the diagnosis was congenital heart disease. I had two operations on my lung, my appendicitis was removed, I had surgery for... ectopic pregnancy, I gave birth on my own. And none of the doctors noticed any heart problems. I’ll go to Kyiv, in case this diagnosis is not confirmed.
"Very hard to detect"
“During my practice, I have performed a lot of lung operations,” says the 65-year-old Ilya Koesnikov, head of the pulmonary surgical department of the Chernigov regional tuberculosis dispensary, honored doctor of Ukraine. “I only removed seeds from the lungs of this woman.” When she was little, they brought her to me. Thirty years later she came again.
It is very difficult to detect the seed. It is impossible to determine it even from an x-ray. On computed tomography you can see that there is some kind of formation in the lungs.
The seed is small. When it hit the lung, it went very far. It is not sterile, so inflammation occurred. This inflammation caused the tumor. Initially, we wanted to remove the tumor.
You can live with a seed for many years and even your whole life.
In my younger years, I removed war shrapnel from my lungs. The man had a shrapnel in his lung since 1941. And I deleted it somewhere in the seventies.
In our tuberculosis clinic we even had a museum of foreign bodies that I took out of my lungs. In the lung foreign body can last for years. It is encapsulated in the body. If you pull it out and it comes into contact with oxygen, it turns to dust in four months.
He took out a small bullet from his lung. The guy said that he was playing with a traumatic weapon and accidentally shot himself in the chest. The difficulty of this operation was that the bullet, like the seed, was very difficult to find.
Recently a guy from the Lviv region came to see me. He is now over forty years old. I operated on him when he was 12. We were climbing around a construction site. A concrete wall fell on his chest. The chest was very damaged. The bronchus was torn off, the ribs were broken, the subclavian artery was damaged. I was invited to operate on him first city hospital. Such operations were almost never done before. In the city I was the only one who specialized in such pathologies. The operation lasted about eight hours. We examined him in the fall. Now he is completely healthy.
Yulia Semenets, Victoria Tovstonog, "News" No. 8 (588) dated February 20, 2014
When playing, children often not only take foreign bodies into their mouths, but also stick them into their noses. These are most often peas, seeds, pieces of paper, foil, candy wrappers, and mother-of-pearl buttons. At the same time, the child breathes poorly through his nose, he has constant discharge from one nostril, and something in his nose bothers him.
Doctor's advice
- If your child puts a small object in his mouth or nose, first make sure he spits it out or the object falls out.
- Do not try to remove the object by force, as this may complicate the situation and injure your mouth and nose.
- Take your child to the doctor immediately!
Read below on how to provide first aid at home before the doctor arrives.
Foreign bodies in the respiratory tract
Foreign bodies in the respiratory tract are dangerous to the child's life. Oxygen does not reach the lungs, and the most dramatic situation can arise when the baby’s life is in the balance.
In children, the larynx is located higher than in adults, so the path of passage of a foreign body from the oral cavity to the respiratory tract is shorter. And the teeth do not hold well on a piece of food, which easily falls into the larynx with a stream of air.
The larynx should protect the lower respiratory tract from foreign bodies. This is a highly complex and at the same time very primitive organ. Whatever touches the surface of the larynx, it reacts with a spasm of the glottis. The nerves in the larynx send a signal to the brain that something has entered the larynx. A cough occurs. Such defense mechanism The larynx protects the trachea and bronchi, on the other hand, it makes it difficult for a foreign body to move back from the trachea into the oral cavity. That is, the removal of a foreign body is hindered by the valve mechanism of the tracheobronchial tree - the so-called piggy bank mechanism (figure).
Doctors are convinced that 99 percent of cases of foreign bodies entering the respiratory tract are due to parental oversight. You need to be especially attentive to children under 5 years old; As our experience shows, the greatest number of victims occurs precisely at this age.
The circumstances under which foreign bodies enter the respiratory tract are varied. This can happen when laughing or coughing, while eating or drinking, when being scared, playing, or a sudden shock.
- Don't leave your child alone!
- Most troubles happen in the absence of adults!
- Don't leave the table until your child has eaten!
The concept " dangerous item"Very relatively. Most often, foreign bodies get into the “wrong throat” when eating. It is not the children who are to blame for this, but the parents, who themselves are used to eating quickly and rushing their children. It’s even worse when there’s a game at the table to see who can eat faster.
Observe Golden Rule our grandmothers: “When I eat, I am deaf and dumb.”
IN beautiful time When plums, grapes, watermelons, sunflowers, and apples ripen, children inhale the seeds more often. For parents, every minute counts. It is necessary not only to collect the grown crop, but also to make preparations for the winter. Busy with their own affairs, parents forget that a delicious piece of apple or cherry can bring a child’s life to the brink of disaster in an instant.
Having penetrated the respiratory tract, pieces of food especially often lead to complications, since, when decomposing, they cause long-term inflammatory changes in the lungs, and it is extremely difficult for a doctor to remove them entirely. Even a small fish bone stuck into the mucous membrane causes swelling and inflammation.
All seeds must first be removed from any dish served to a child, since children do not know how to do this on their own.
Give children fruits and berries, freed from seeds!
The apple should be without seeds, and the soup should be without bones! Known nutritional value nuts However, an ordinary nut is considered a high-risk food, because it must be chewed and swallowed. It is difficult for a child to do this due to the absence of all teeth and the large amount of saliva required to swallow the nut.
Add peeled and finely chopped nuts to porridge or salad!
Mosaics, construction sets, and “kinder surprises” are prohibited for children under three years of age. However, parents should be critical of every toy they bring into the house or buy. Miniature shoes of a Barbie doll, wheels poorly attached to the car, beady eyes can end up in the baby’s mouth.
Children have a great thirst for imitation and knowledge. I want to do everything like mom and dad. Young successors to the dynasty of carpenters, seamstresses, radio amateurs, gardeners, and badge collectors can inhale nails, buttons, needles, pins, and seeds.
Keep household items out of the reach of children!
- There are no small things in a child's life, so do not forget to hide everything that may end up in the child's mouth. Humanity has not yet developed any other prevention.
What to do if the precautions don't work?
First aid if hit foreign body V nasal cavity
Ask your child to forcefully blow his nose. If the foreign body does not come out, stop, don’t do anything, call an ambulance immediately! Further manipulations are dangerous for the child’s life: you can push a foreign body into the nasopharynx; when inhaling, it will fall into the larynx and the child may suffocate.
First aid if hit foreign body V larynx
A foreign body in the larynx causes a cough, and an attack of suffocation begins. The baby may lose consciousness. The life of a child largely depends on the nature of the foreign body, its location and duration of stay in the larynx. The condition of children with a foreign body in the larynx is most often severe. However, when swallowing a small sharp object (sewing needle, fish bone) in the first hours after entering the larynx, there are no signs of breathing problems. The phenomenon of narrowing of the larynx occurs in such cases later, when the mucous membrane begins to swell.
Shortness of breath, cough, voice disorder - important signs, indicating the presence of a foreign body in the larynx, but they can lead to diagnostic error, if the parents did not notice that a foreign body has entered the respiratory tract.
What to do if a foreign body from the larynx has passed into the trachea
Most often the child feels better. Breathing disorders are less pronounced. The cough becomes constant, worsens at night, when the child behaves restlessly. With light movable foreign bodies (for example, a sunflower seed), a popping sound can be clearly heard during crying, laughing, or coughing. This is the result of a foreign body striking the undersurface of the vocal folds during exhalation.
Sometimes coughing attacks are expressed sharply, accompanied by a blue face and vomiting. All symptoms resemble clinical picture whooping cough A chest x-ray also does not allow a correct diagnosis, since many foreign bodies (a nut, a piece of carrot, apple, pea) are non-contrast and are not visible on the images.
Make the correct diagnosis in in this case is possible only with the help of parents, who must remember any situation in which a foreign body could enter the child’s respiratory tract.
What to do if it is foreign the body passed into the bronchi
At this moment, it seems that everything terrible is over - the child has calmed down. No cough. Breathing became free. Unfortunately, parents are also becoming complacent. Meanwhile, the process continues in the lungs. After all, a child breathes with one lung. Closure of the second bronchus leads to collapse of the lung, development purulent inflammation leading to disability.
Signs of a foreign body in the respiratory tract:
- suffocation;
- coughing attack;
- turning blue;
- loss of consciousness.
Remember! Any foreign body in the respiratory tract is a time bomb that can cause death by suffocation.
Doctor's advice
- Call emergency medical services immediately! Don't waste your precious time.
- Do not treat the child yourself; the foreign body may change position. The situation in such cases develops rapidly, and seconds of delay can cost the child his life.
- The valve mechanism of the larynx prevents the child from coughing up a foreign body, so in case sudden appearance suffocation, until the ambulance arrives medical care"you must resort to the following methods:
– small child place it on your thigh upside down and tap it on the back (Fig. a);
– average and index fingers place on the sternum between the nipples and tap (Fig. b);
– for older children, grab standing child from behind with both hands and press firmly, in a jerky manner, just below the xiphoid process (Fig. a);
– the same method can be used for a lying child (Fig. b).
- Do not confuse the described methods with artificial respiration. Artificial respiration does not help remove a foreign body!
Remember, only a doctor can save a child. Foreign bodies of the larynx, trachea and bronchi are removed in the hospital using special equipment. In rare cases, when the foreign body cannot be removed, the patient undergoes surgery.
First aid for a foreign body in the esophagus
A child, especially under three years of age, makes his acquaintance with any new subject that interests him in a very unique way. At first he takes it into his mouth, sometimes sucks for a long time: the sucking reflex is a habitual one. unconditioned reflex person. And not only sucks. Very often he swallows objects that catch his eye.
Fortunately, sometimes, having swallowed balls, coins, rings and other small even objects, the child does not risk anything: the foreign body, having passed gastrointestinal tract, will soon be in the pot.
However, large objects (pacifiers, parts of toys, large pieces of food) can stop in the esophagus, as physiological narrowings predispose it to this. Other objects (glass, needles, pins) located in the esophagus can damage its wall, cause inflammation or bleeding.
Signs of a foreign body in the esophagus:
- difficulty swallowing;
- refusal to eat;
- increased salivation;
- vomit;
- pain, tingling in the front of the neck.
It must be remembered that the manifestations of a foreign body in the esophagus are varied. This is due to the nature of the foreign body, its location in the esophagus, and the age of the child. Great importance has the degree of blockage of the lumen of the esophagus and the effect of the swallowed foreign body on the adjacent airways. Unfortunately, a smooth, flat foreign body can lie in the esophagus for a very long time without showing itself in any way. In such a case, the danger is that it causes inflammation - rupture of the walls of the esophagus, bleeding, as well as a serious, dangerous complication - inflammation of the mediastinal organs.
What to do at home if a foreign body is stuck in the esophagus?
Doctor's advice
- Call an ambulance.
- Ask your child what exactly he swallowed and how much time has passed. There may be cases where a child swallows an object containing Chemical substance, which can cause poisoning or burn the walls of the esophagus.
- Do not try to induce vomiting yourself!
- If a child is vomiting with a large admixture of fresh blood, it is necessary to calm him down before the doctor arrives, put him to bed, and place an ice pack or chilled water on the abdominal area. You can't give him anything to drink!
All foreign bodies retained in the esophagus are removed using special equipment in a hospital setting.
What to do if a foreign body gets into your ear
An insect may crawl into a child's ear or a small object may accidentally get into it and be difficult to remove. If a foreign body gets into ear canal Hearing may be impaired, and sometimes itching occurs.
Doctor's advice
- You can remove an insect from your ear at home as follows. Pipette a few drops into your ear vegetable oil and consult a doctor.
- If a foreign object has penetrated deep into the ear and is difficult to remove, do not try to do it yourself, especially using a pin or the like. You may hurt eardrum and deprive the child of hearing for life.
Eye injuries can be caused by a variety of various reasons, including: a blow to the eye; Strong chemicals such as lye, bleach, or acid that can burn the tissues of the eye and cause permanent damage. sand, paint splashes, metal shavings or...
Respiratory disorders when a foreign body enters the respiratory organs and tract medical name– aspiration.
Most often, children of primary preschool age are hospitalized with this diagnosis. This is due to the fact that while playing, children are interested in tasting their favorite toys. The little ones put everything in their mouths that comes to hand, which is why, in order to protect the child from danger, it is necessary to exclude all toys with small parts from the children's room.
IN childhood the danger is that the child cannot always explain what happened. And in the absence of pronounced symptoms, the fact that a foreign matter has entered the respiratory tract becomes clear when concomitant diseases develop.
Objects in the lungs completely or partially block the bronchial lumen, disrupting the movement of air, causing inflammation and purulent processes in the pulmonary tract.
The size of the foreign body determines where it will go: into the trachea, bronchi or lungs. Next, we’ll look at the dangers of objects getting into the respiratory system and what to do in this case.
Why are foreign bodies in the lungs dangerous and how to recognize the condition?
In most cases, foreign bodies enter the right-sided bronchi and lungs. This is due to the large volume right lung and its location. Particles deposited in small bronchial branches rarely cause significant symptoms.
Most often, a rare cough is observed, which is attributed to a cold.
This condition is difficult to diagnose, and is dangerous because foreign particles can completely block the bronchial lumen.
Even if a person feels relatively normal immediately after a foreign body enters the lungs, the following symptoms develop over time:
The worst sign is the absence of a cough, which means that a foreign body has completely blocked the airways.
When the particles are large enough, they can completely block the air supply to the lungs, which can lead to fatal outcome. Symptoms of a life-threatening condition:
- The complexion changes, acquiring a red or blue tint.
- Inability to take a breath.
- Sudden onset of paroxysmal cough.
- The patient is holding his throat.
- Hoarseness, complete loss of voice.
- Whistling breathing.
- Dyspnea.
- Loss of consciousness.
Objects with an uneven surface are more likely to be swallowed than others. inflammatory process, since mucus is retained on them, bacteria settle, and they can injure the bronchial tract. Foreign proteins cause allergic reactions and local inflammatory processes.
Most great danger represent food particles that can decompose into smaller grains. Only a doctor will tell you what to do if food gets into the respiratory system. Its extraction is more difficult, and the particles decompose very quickly, causing purulent inflammation.
When a foreign body enters the bronchial tract, the following diseases develop:
- Emphysema.
- Obstructive bronchitis.
- Pulmonary edema.
- Pneumonia.
- Purulent pleurisy.
- Lung abscess.
- Bronchiectostasis.
If foreign objects are in the small bronchial passages, mechanical damage, infection and proliferation are possible lung tissue.
To avoid this, if you suspect aspiration, you must contact a pulmonologist, who, after conducting a diagnosis, will determine whether there is a foreign body in the respiratory tract or not.
Diagnosis and treatment
First of all, diagnosis is based on the victim’s complaints. If it concerns a child, then on the stories of adults about what happened. If the fact of aspiration was not noticed, then without the presence external symptoms, diagnosis can be difficult.
First, the patient's breathing is listened to; the doctor may hear: wheezing, whistling, weakened or harsh breathing. If the bronchial lumen is completely blocked, the specialist will not hear anything. Next, the following diagnostic methods are prescribed:
- Radiography.
- X-ray.
- Endoscopy.
On x-rays Objects and food that have entered the respiratory tract are not always visible. This may be due to X-ray leakage or severe swelling in the lungs that obscures the foreign body.
The most accurate diagnostic method is endoscopy. Depending on the condition and age of the patient, the procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia.
For children, endoscopy is performed only under general anesthesia. Another diagnostic method is chest MRI, but it is used extremely rarely due to the high cost of the procedure.
Urgent actions
What should you do first if you have aspiration? If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract, the patient's condition should be assessed. If he is conscious and not choking, he needs to clear his throat well. If you suspect that particles may have remained in respiratory system need to call ambulance or go to the hospital emergency room yourself.
If the cough after aspiration is accompanied by shortness of breath and cyanosis on the face, the following assistance should be provided:
It is forbidden to knock on the back in vertical position, thus the particles will sink even lower! Particular care should be taken when handling children. If round, flat objects hit, the child can be turned upside down and knocked on the back, perhaps the object will fall out on its own.
Health care
In any case, entry of a foreign body into the lungs and bronchi requires medical intervention. Therefore, at the first signs of aspiration, it is necessary to call an ambulance, and, while waiting for it, help the patient remove the object from the respiratory tract.
Treating aspiration means removing foreign particles from the airways. If foreign particles enter the larynx, it is possible to remove the foreign body manually or using laryngoscopy. If a foreign body is found in the trachea, a tracheoscopy procedure is performed.
The greatest difficulty in removing a foreign body is bronchoscopy - the extraction of small particles from the bronchi and bronchial tracts. Often this procedure has to be repeated several times, especially if the object is very crumbly, for example, if food has entered the respiratory tract.
So that there won't be any left negative consequences aspiration, you should consult a doctor immediately if you suspect that particles have entered the lungs.
During endoscopic intervention, in addition to removing the foreign body, pus and mucus accumulated in the bronchial lumens are sucked out. In some cases, a piece of lung tissue is taken for a biopsy, since the development of benign and malignant tumors. After removing the object from the respiratory tract, further treatment is based on eliminating the consequences of aspiration - anti-inflammatory treatment.
