At 16h45 on August 6, a 10-year-old boy, residing in Hong Bang District, Hai Phong, was taken to the Pediatric Hospital in Hai Phong for emergency treatment in a state of coughing, difficulty breathing, and cyanosis. Through medical history, the child had accidentally swallowed a Lego toy while playing, then coughed and had difficulty breathing.
The respiratory department doctors at the Pediatric Hospital in Hai Phong conducted an examination, consulted quickly, and performed necessary tests. The chest CT scan result using a General 64-slice CT Scanner suspected a non-contrast foreign body in the left main bronchus.
Immediately, the bronchoscopy team from the respiratory department collaborated with the anesthesia team from the Anesthesia and Intensive Care Department of the Pediatric Hospital in Hai Phong to perform a soft bronchoscopy procedure using an Olympus BF 190 advanced endoscope, successfully retrieving a plastic, round, smooth, approximately 1cm diameter Lego toy part that had fallen deep into the left main bronchus (T), without causing damage to the airway.
To prevent such rare accidents, the Pediatric Hospital in Hai Phong also advises parents to be aware of not letting children play with objects that have small parts. When discovering a child has a foreign object in their mouth (not swallowed), parents should remain calm, gently coax the child to expel the object, and absolutely should not insert their fingers into the child's mouth to retrieve the object, or cause the child to panic, as this may lead to the child losing control and choking on the object.
