The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 91, 930-932, Copyright © 1986 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Blowgun dart aspiration
TJ Vander Salm and N Ellis
We report on two young patients with unusual airway foreign bodies: blowgun
darts. These homemade darts are constructed with yarn, thread, and a common
pin. Because only the pin is radiopaque, and because the child may be
reluctant to disclose the nature of the foreign body, the bronchoscopist
may encounter unexpected difficulty in extracting the dart. A radiograph
showing a pin head down in the trachea or bronchus, coughing (especially
with hemoptysis) in excess of that expected from just an aspirated pin, and
a child hesitant to divulge the full history suggest blowgun dart
aspiration.