Two cases of 10-month-old infants with airway obstruction (chicken bone) in Samoa: Surgical/management challenges and future directions

Abstract

We present the case of two 10-month old infants in Samoa who required surgical intervention for the removal of an ingested foreign body (chicken bone) in the trachea. Although such cases are usually medically evacuated to New Zealand, this was not possible for these patients due to travel restrictions (measles epidemic and COVI-19 pandemic). Both patients required emergency surgery for foreign body removal, including tracheostomy due to complicating factors. We discuss the management challenges faced by our context in Samoa, and indicate options for mitigating the adverse effects of similar cases in the future.

Keywords

• Foreign body
• Airway obstruction
• Tracheotomy
• Tracheostomy
• Pacific islands