Dangerous transparent foreign object "hidden" in boy's throat

(Dan Tri) - A small incident during a birthday celebration put an 11-year-old boy's health in danger. If handled slowly, it could have had a negative impact on his life.

On October 1, Dong Nai Children's Hospital announced that it had just treated a dangerous case of a foreign object stuck in the esophagus.

According to his family, the boy D.QB (11 years old, living in Phu Lam commune, Dong Nai province) suddenly had a sore throat and vomited while eating birthday cake at home on the evening of September 29.

At the same time, the family discovered a remaining piece of plastic shaped like a rabbit ear in the cake. Suspecting that baby B. had swallowed a piece of plastic, they immediately took the child to Tan Phu Regional Medical Center and then transferred him to Dong Nai Children's Hospital.

That same night, doctors admitted the child in a state of neck pain, drooling, fatigue, and inability to eat or drink. The child was quickly anesthetized, given emergency endoscopy, and a piece of plastic lodged in the esophagus at the level of the thoracic vertebrae was removed.

Doctors removed a piece of transparent plastic hidden in a baby boy's esophagus (Photo: NP).

Sharing about this case, Dr. Ngo Van Phan, Head of the Interdisciplinary Department, Dong Nai Children's Hospital, said that the foreign object was a small, thin, transparent piece of plastic, so it was very difficult to detect. What was even more dangerous was that this piece of plastic was less radiopaque, almost "hidden" on the X-ray film, making it more difficult to determine the cause.

Fortunately, the family discovered and suspected early that the baby had swallowed a foreign object. This was the basis for the doctors to take timely action.

Doctor performs endoscopy to remove foreign object for child (Photo: NP).

In case the plastic piece is not detected, the foreign object stuck for a long time can cause esophagitis, abscess, and even mediastinitis, endangering the child's life.

From this case, doctors at Dong Nai Children's Hospital recommend that parents should carefully check and remove hard, plastic or metal objects from food before feeding it to young children. At the same time, during meals, children should not eat while exercising or watching their phones.

In case the child shows abnormal signs or is suspected of choking on a foreign object, the family should immediately take the child to the nearest medical facility for timely treatment. Absolutely do not apply folk remedies. This can waste precious time for treatment, affecting the child's treatment and recovery process.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/mieng-di-vat-trong-suot-nguy-hiem-an-trong-co-hong-be-trai-20251001155754947.htm