TY - JOUR TI - A systematic review of using flexible bronchoscopy to remove foreign bodies from paediatric patients AU - Chantzaras, A.-P. AU - Panagiotou, P. AU - Karageorgos, S. AU - Douros, K. JO - Acta Paediatrica, International Journal of Paediatrics, Supplement PY - 2022 VL - 111 TODO - 7 SP - 1301-1312 PB - John Wiley and Sons Inc SN - null TODO - 10.1111/apa.16351 TODO - bronchoscopy; child; clinical outcome; female; fiberoptic bronchoscopy; flexible bronchoscopy; foreign body; general anesthesia; human; male; outcome assessment; pediatric patient; Review; systematic review; tracheobronchial tree TODO - Aim: Our aim was to summarise the evidence about flexible bronchoscopy for paediatric airway foreign body aspiration cases. Methods: We searched the PubMed database from 1 January 2001 to 9 October 2021 for peer-review papers published in English on the use, and success rates, of flexible bronchoscopy as the first-line treatment for foreign body aspiration cases. This process identified 243 potential papers. Results: We studied 23 papers comprising 2588 cases of foreign body aspiration and flexible bronchoscopy successfully removed the foreign bodies in 87.1% of cases. Complication rates were low in the 983 patients studied in 18 papers. The foreign bodies were organic materials in 78.3% of 1371 patients and mainly lodged in the right bronchial tree in 50.5% of 1402 patients. General anaesthesia was used before flexible bronchoscopy in 14/23 studies and laryngeal mask airways were mostly used in 10/23 studies to secure the airway during the procedure. Ancillary equipment was used to assist the foreign body removal in 57.3% of 1808 cases and these were usually baskets. Conclusion: Flexible bronchoscopy was a feasible and safe therapeutic procedure for selected foreign body aspiration cases. Future studies need to focus on comparing the clinical outcomes of flexible and rigid bronchoscopies. © 2022 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. ER -