Heyer et al reported a simple score for predicting foreign body aspiration in a pediatric patient. The authors are from Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany.
Patient selection: suspected foreign body aspiration in a pediatric patient (from 11 months to 16.8 years, mean 2.8 years)
Outcome: foreign body identified at bronchoscopy
Parameters from multivariate analysis:
(1) focal hyperinflation on chest radiograph
(2) witnessed choking crisis
(3) white blood cell (WBC) count per µL
Parameter
Finding
Points
focal hyperinflation
absent
0
present
1
witnessed choking
no
0
yes
1
WBC count
<= 10,000 per µL
0
> 10,000 per µL
1
total score =
= SUM(points for all of the parameters)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 3
• The higher the score the greater the risk of foreign body aspiration.
• A score of 0 does not exclude the diagnosis.
Total Score
Percent Foreign Body
0
16%
1
47%
2
96%
3
100%
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