1.       Description 

A 62 year old male was admitted to our emergency department with dyspnoe and dry cough. He had a history of 40 pack-years, occasionally consuming some cannabis and alcohol. On examination he had diminished breath sounds on the left lung and wheezing. Blood gases were altered with a decreased pO₂ of 8.399 kPa and elevated pCO₂ of 6.746 kPa. 

1.1.  Diagnosis: Aspiration of a foreign body.

Foreign body aspiration can be a life-threatening emergency, especially in children. An aspirated solid part as this dental prosthesis may cause a deadly incidence if it obstructs the trachea. In this case the foreign body was stuck in the left main brochus and ventilation and oxygenation was acceptable. Extraction of the foreign body was done under flexible bronchoscopy and the patient left hospital the next day.

Figure 1: A chest radiograph showed a foreign body in the left lung.