On October 31, information from Kien An Hospital, the Department of Digestive Surgery - Kien An Hospital received patient B.H.D (55 years old, residing in Dai Ha commune, Kien Thuy district) admitted to the hospital with dull abdominal pain around the navel and increasing left flank, continuous pain, no vomiting, accompanied by fever.
The patient was examined and performed paraclinical tests. Abdominal ultrasound results: There was a heterogeneous effusion at the outer edge of the descending colon measuring 52x13 mm, with a 33 mm long rod-shaped echogenic image in the center, and extensive fat infiltration around the effusion. Determining that this was a case requiring emergency intervention, the doctors consulted and prescribed laparoscopic surgery.
The abdominal endoscopy discovered a foreign object about 5 cm long, with two sharp ends piercing the ileum. Doctors safely removed the foreign object, a bamboo toothpick, from the intestines, sutured the ileal perforation, cleaned and placed an abdominal drain. After 1 day of intensive treatment, the patient quickly recovered and his fever subsided.
Through this rare case, Kien An Hospital recommends that people should use dental floss instead of bamboo toothpicks (if using bamboo toothpicks, do not keep them in your mouth, throw them away immediately after use). When swallowing toothpicks or any other foreign objects, people should quickly go to a medical facility for examination and timely intervention to avoid dangerous complications affecting health and life.
