Waiting to exhale

Abstract

Foreign-body aspiration in adults is considerably less common than in children. The clinical course can be life-threatening but often presents in a more indolent manner, leading to difficulties with diagnosis. We report the retrieval of a buprenorphine-naloxone wrapper by flexible bronchoscopy in a 44-year-old male patient with COVID-19 who was on mechanical ventilation. Following removal, the patient completed treatment for COVID-19, his respiratory status improved, and he was discharged from the hospital. Flexible bronchoscopy is an effective means of diagnosis and retrieval of foreign bodies in the distal airway.