8 year old boy swallowed a needle while having a root canal

Endoscopic surgeons remove foreign objects from children - Photo: BVCC

On March 14, Thai Nguyen Central Hospital announced that it had just performed endoscopic surgery to remove a foreign object from the duodenum of a child patient.

According to the mother of patient DTH (8 years old), the family previously took the child to a medical facility in the district for examination and root canal treatment.

During the root canal treatment, the child was hyperactive and the root canal needle fell into his digestive tract. After taking an abdominal X-ray, the doctors found a radiopaque foreign object, so the family took the child to Thai Nguyen Central Hospital for examination and treatment.

At the hospital's endoscopy department, baby H. was anesthetized and had an endoscopy of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. Doctors discovered a tooth pulp-killing needle located under the third part of the duodenum and performed an intervention to remove the foreign object from the patient's duodenum.

Doctor Nguyen Hoang Ha, a member of the surgical team, said that because the needle had been stuck in the intestine for a long time and deep, the endoscopy to remove the needle from the patient's duodenum was extremely difficult.

"Moreover, because this is a sharp object, if not done carefully, it can cause intestinal perforation, which is dangerous. After the needle was removed from the body, the patient's health was stable, his abdomen was soft, not distended, and he did not vomit. This is a rare case where a child accidentally swallowed a sharp foreign object into his body," Dr. Ha informed.

Doctors warn that most children are afraid of needles, so when pulling teeth for children, the injection is the most difficult problem. If the child struggles, the needle can break in the oral mucosa, or even fall into the digestive tract as in the above case.

Therefore, to limit unwanted accidents, parents need to find a dentist with expertise and experience in treating children's teeth.

Experienced pediatric dentists also understand children's psychology, sympathize with children's fears, and have the most appropriate attitude towards each child.

In addition, parents need to explain to their children why dental treatment is needed and how the treatment will take place. Only when the child is mentally stable and ready to listen, will the doctor proceed with the treatment, which helps to minimize risks during the dental treatment process for children.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/be-8-tuoi-nuot-phai-cay-kim-trong-khi-diet-tuy-rang-2024031412081822.htm