Obstruction in pediatric foreign body aspiration is most common in which airway?

Obstruction in pediatric foreign body aspiration is most common in which airway?

• A. Left mainstem bronchus
• B. Right mainstem bronchus
• C. Trachea
• D. Larynx

Answer: (B)

When a child inhales a foreign body, it most often lodges in the right mainstem bronchus. The anatomy makes this the usual site: the right main bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left, creating the straightest, most direct path from the trachea downward. Objects are more likely to enter and become stuck there than in the left mainstem bronchus, which is narrower and more angled. The trachea or larynx can be involved in the immediate choking phase, but for a lodged foreign body that causes obstruction after entry, the right mainstem bronchus is the common location.

When a child inhales a foreign body, it most often lodges in the right mainstem bronchus. The anatomy makes this the usual site: the right main bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left, creating the straightest, most direct path from the trachea downward. Objects are more likely to enter and become stuck there than in the left mainstem bronchus, which is narrower and more angled. The trachea or larynx can be involved in the immediate choking phase, but for a lodged foreign body that causes obstruction after entry, the right mainstem bronchus is the common location.