Bronchial lavage and chest percussions relieved complete airway obstruction due to crushed foreign body: a case report

Tracheobronchial foreign body (FB) is always a clinical challenge. Dropping the FB during retrieval is a potentially life-threatening complication, which, if not promptly diagnosed and treated, can prove fatal. We present a case of complete airway obstruction due to crushed and slipped FB during its retrieval from the upper airway. Its tiny fragments dropped down and obstructed the lower bronchial trees. This is a very rare potentially lethal event, which was successfully managed with concomitant bronchial lavage and chest percussion.