On the evening of April 26, Children's Hospital 1 said that during this year's holiday, the unit had just successfully handled a case of a respiratory foreign object deep in the root right bronchi of patient N.K.N (9 months old, Dong Thap).
Baby N was taken to Children's Hospital 1 for examination due to severe cough for two days. Previously, at a medical facility, X-ray images revealed abnormalities, suspecting foreign objects in the airway, so the baby was transferred to Children's Hospital 1. Notably, the family did not clearly record the time the baby swallowed and choked the foreign object, and did not identify the type of foreign object.
X-ray results showed that the contrasting foreign object was located in the right root bronchi, accompanied by signs of incomplete right lung collapse and mediastinal pneumothorax. These are complications showing that the situation is not simple. The Ear, Nose and Throat Department team consulted and coordinated with the anesthesia team to perform emergency airway endoscopy for the baby.
According to BS.CKI Ly Pham Hoang Vinh - Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Children's Hospital 1, the foreign object is suspected to be a LED light bulb located deep in the root right bronchi. The biggest difficulty in the foreign object removal process lies in the structure of the light bulb: the bulging, sharp tail, easily stuck when pulled through the larynx, posing a potential risk of scratching, tearing the mucous membrane or getting stuck between the 2 vocal cords.
In particular, the 9-month-old baby's airway is very small, causing difficulties in observation and operation. The team had to rotate and adjust the foreign object little by little, choosing the optimal direction to bring the head of the lamp forward to minimize damage. It is noteworthy that with such a sharp foreign object, the risk of pneumothorax during the removal process is entirely possible. Therefore, the Thoracic Surgery team was also mobilized, ready with emergency chest drainage plans if complications arise.
Thanks to meticulous operations and inter-specialized coordination, the foreign object, a LED light bulb, was safely removed. After intervention, the baby's airway was clear, no significant lesions or complications of pneumothorax were recorded, and the respiratory condition was stable. The patient was continued to be monitored and, if eligible, was discharged from the hospital.
According to Dr. Vinh, airway foreign objects in young children are always a dangerous emergency situation, especially for objects with abnormal shapes such as LED light bulbs. Not only causing obstruction, these foreign objects can also scratch, puncture airways or lead to serious complications if handled incorrectly.
In fact, the hospital has received many cases of children choking on LED light bulbs at many ages, from a few months old to older children, showing that it is necessary to raise parental vigilance. This case also warns of the risk of children inhaling foreign objects but not being detected in time.
Therefore, parents should absolutely not let children suck on small objects, especially electronic devices such as LED light bulbs, batteries, and components. At the same time, pay attention to observing and tidying up small, sharp objects in daily life. When suspecting that a child has sniffled a foreign object, proper first aid is needed and quickly take them to a medical facility for timely intervention.
