Successful removal of plastic ballpoint pen cap in the respiratory tract of a child patient

(DN) - Doctors at Dong Nai Children's Hospital have successfully performed an endoscopy to remove a foreign object, a plastic ballpoint pen cap, about 1cm long, from a child's bronchus.

Doctors perform endoscopy to remove foreign objects for children. Photo: BVCC

The patient is a 12-year-old boy named TKT, residing in Binh Minh commune, who was admitted to the emergency room on the morning of July 18 with a persistent cough and hoarseness.

Through medical history, 2 weeks before being admitted to the hospital, the child had sucked on a plastic ballpoint pen cap, then coughed violently for about 5 minutes but the family did not take the child to the doctor. The child was afraid of being scolded by his parents so he did not say that he had swallowed a foreign object.

After 3 days of swallowing the foreign object, the baby had a fever, coughed a lot and had a hoarse voice. At this time, the baby told his parents that he had swallowed a foreign object. After that, the family took the baby to a private clinic in the area. He was given medication for 1 week but it is not clear what kind of medication. The baby's fever went away but he still had a hoarse voice.

On July 18, the baby coughed a lot, had a fever again, and had a severe hoarse cough. He was taken to a private clinic for examination and chest X-ray. The clinic then transferred the baby to Dong Nai Children's Hospital.

Through a chest CT scan with contrast, doctors found a foreign object about 1cm in size deep in the middle bronchus branch of the child's right lung, causing collapse of the middle and lower lobes of the lung.

A plastic ballpoint pen cap was removed from the patient's respiratory tract. Photo: BVCC

Recognizing that this was a case with a high risk of respiratory complications, the hospital quickly held a consultation and implemented intervention. Master, Doctor Tran Le Duy Cuong, Deputy Head of the Department of Intensive Care - Anti-Poison and the team, with the support of the anesthesia team of the Department of Surgery - Anesthesia and Resuscitation, coordinated to perform endoscopy and successfully remove the foreign object from the patient's airway.

After the foreign object was removed, the patient's health improved in a positive direction.

Hanh Dung

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/tin-moi/202507/gap-thanh-cong-di-nap-but-bi-nhua-trong-duong-ho-hap-cua-benh-nhi-620351d/