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CASE REPORT article

Front. Med.
Sec. Gastroenterology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1442245
This article is part of the Research Topic Advances in Therapeutic Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: from Bench to Bedside View all 6 articles

Capsule Endoscopy Aspiration and Respiratory Physician's Treatment Insights: A Case Report and Literature Review

Provisionally accepted
Yinxue Zhou Yinxue Zhou Hongmei Wang Hongmei Wang Min Zhuang Min Zhuang Hua Liu Hua Liu Lijie Qi Lijie Qi Lingyun Zhang Lingyun Zhang Jiaxing Sun Jiaxing Sun *
  • The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background： Capsule endoscopy (CE) is widely used for intestinal examination, but capsule aspiration into the airway is a serious complication needing urgent intervention. We present a management case and review 39 cases from 2003 to 2023, providing insights into prevention and treatment of capsule aspiration.Case Presentation: A 69-year-old male with chronic bronchitis and emphysema, presenting with 7 months of intermittent melena, experienced brief coughing and chest tightness after swallowing a capsule endoscope (PillCam™ SB 3). Imaging confirmed aspiration in the right intermediate bronchus, and non-invasive removal attempts were unsuccessful.Methods: Real-time imaging confirmed the lodged capsule. Non-invasive methods like coughing and chest percussion failed, so flexible bronchoscopy under general anesthesia was used to retrieve the capsule with a snare, followed by placement into the duodenum via gastroscope.The capsule was successfully retrieved, and the patient recovered well, completing the endoscopy without further issues.Conclusion：Our case and literature review highlight the need for careful attention to highrisk groups in CE, including the elderly and those with neurological or swallowing issues, with thorough history review and real-time monitoring essential. Bronchoscopy is preferred for CE retrieval due to its advantages, and manufacturers are urged to improve CE safety, with insights from respiratory physicians to help internists manage this potentially life-threatening complication.

    Keywords: Capsule endoscope, complication, aspiration, bronchoscope, case report

    Received: 01 Jun 2024; Accepted: 11 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhou, Wang, Zhuang, Liu, Qi, Zhang and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jiaxing Sun, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

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