Airway obstructions are common and potentially lethal emergencies, especially among vulnerable populations such as children and geriatrics. In 2005, 19,000 children visited emergency rooms for airway obstruction. Obstruction with a foreign body is the most common type of airway obstruction in young children. Among geriatrics, obstructive airway diseases, dysphagia, and aspiration are more prevalent. The odds of airway obstruction increase with age. One study of geriatric patients found that at least 10 percent of seniors who undergo spirometric studies may have an airway obstruction.