What procedure is definitive and therapeutic when a foreign body compromises the airway?

• A. Flexible bronchoscopy
• B. Rigid bronchoscopy
• C. CT scan
• D. Administer bronchodilators and wait

Answer: (B)

When a foreign body blocks the airway, the first priority is to secure and clear it. Rigid bronchoscopy provides definitive and therapeutic management because it allows direct visualization of the airway, maintains a secure airway with ventilation through the scope during the procedure, and offers robust instrument channels to grasp and extract the object, even if it is large or irregularly shaped. This combination makes removal under controlled conditions more reliable and safer than other approaches. Flexible bronchoscopy can be useful for diagnosis and some removals, but it offers less airway control and a smaller channel for retrieval, which can be a limitation in a compromised airway. CT scanning only images the airway and does not relieve obstruction, and waiting with bronchodilators does not address the obstruction and can worsen the situation.