Patient N.V.P was admitted to the hospital with severe sore throat after a fish meal. He said he choked while eating while on the phone. Although I tried taking vitamin C tablets according to folk tips in the hope that bones would slip away, the condition did not improve but the pain gradually increased, especially when swallowing saliva.
At the Center for Required Examination and Treatment and International, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Dr. Trinh Thuy Lien - ENT specialist - discovered a sharp piece of fish bone, 4.5 cm long, stuck more than 1 cm deep into the left lower throat wall. This location is close to the base of the tongue, easily causing strong vomiting reflexes and making it difficult to remove. The scruptors released the bone tip to "eat" deep into the mucous membranes, then pulled it back and forth to limit damage, successfully removed it without anesthesia. The patient was stable and was instructed to monitor complications late.
According to Dr. Lien, although fish bones are common, they are potentially dangerous because they can move deeper or penetrate the digestive tract, causing infection, abscesses in the neck, mid-term, excess lung pus, and even damage to large blood vessels. As an organic foreign object, fish bones are easily broken down in the warm environment of the digestive tract, creating conditions for bacteria to invade, leading to severe inflammation and rapid complications.
The doctor recommends that when you suspected of having fish bones, you should go to a specialized medical facility immediately for endoscopy and remove foreign objects, absolutely do not swallow rice, swallow bananas, take vitamin C or pick your own throat. To prevent this, you should focus on eating, chewing thoroughly and filtering bones carefully, especially in the elderly or people with poor swallowing reflex.
