American journal of otolaryngology
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Foreign body aspiration is common in children, but there are no clinical clues that can determine or rule out the diagnosis before entering the operating room for bronchoscopy. The purposes of our study were to define the clinical characteristics of foreign body aspiration in the pediatric population and to evaluate the significance of delay in its diagnosis and treatment. ⋯ Delayed arrival of a child with a suspected foreign body aspiration at the hospital and delayed bronchoscopy were found to be related to a higher rate of complication.