What is the term for airway obstruction caused by a foreign object?

• A. Airway edema
• B. Laryngospasm
• C. Asthma attack
• D. Foreign-body airway obstruction

Answer: (D)

Airway obstruction caused by a foreign object is called foreign-body airway obstruction. It happens when something like food or a small object blocks the trachea or larynx, preventing air from passing. This tends to be abrupt and can cause immediate choking, inability to speak, and forceful coughing. The other conditions describe different problems: airway edema is swelling that narrows the airway over time, not a discrete object blocking it; laryngospasm is a sudden tightening of the vocal cords that can block air without any object present; and an asthma attack involves bronchial constriction and mucus production rather than a physical blockage by a foreign object.