Parental Knowledge and Practices Related to Foreign Body Aspiration in Children in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Bassam M Bin Laswad; Hawazen M Alsulaimani; Mohanned M Alomairi; Rola R Alsulami; Sultan F Alobaidi; Hazem Aljabri; Shahad T Alsaidi; Mohammed H Ageel

doi:10.7759/cureus.34816

Parental Knowledge and Practices Related to Foreign Body Aspiration in Children in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Cureus. 2023 Feb 9;15(2):e34816. doi: 10.7759/cureus.34816. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Bassam M Bin Laswad¹, Hawazen M Alsulaimani¹, Mohanned M Alomairi¹, Rola R Alsulami¹, Sultan F Alobaidi¹, Hazem Aljabri¹, Shahad T Alsaidi¹, Mohammed H Ageel²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine and Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU.
² Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, SAU.

Abstract

Background Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a life-threatening event and one of the most common causes of mortality in children. As it has different clinical presentations, parental knowledge is essential for early management to prevent complications. Objectives This study was designed to assess the knowledge and practices relating to FBA in children among parents living in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia. Methods An online questionnaire was designed using Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States) and distributed in October 2022 among parents living in Makkah city. After data collection, an appropriate statistical analysis was conducted. Results A total of 1087 parents enrolled in this study; 63.9% were women and the majority were married 93%. Additionally, 52% of the parents had at least three children. Moreover, 17.6% had an experience of a child having aspirated a foreign body once. The Internet was the most popular source of information on FBA (43.5%). Furthermore, the parents had poor levels of knowledge and practices related to FBA (65.4% and 78.6%, respectively). Conclusion This study reported that parental levels of knowledge of FBA and FBA practices were inadequate. There is a need to increase awareness, which will lead to better outcomes.

Keywords: aerodigestive tract; choking hazards; education; foreign body aspiration; inhalation; life-threatening emergency; mortality; parental awareness; parental knowledge; rigid bronchoscopy.