On February 5th, Quang Ngai Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital said that at about 10 pm last night, the unit received an 11-year-old child patient in a state of pain and choking in the neck after swallowing a foreign object.
Through examination and diagnostic imaging, doctors determined that the foreign object was a steel coin with a diameter of about 3cm, located in 1/3 below the esophagus - a potentially dangerous location if not treated promptly.
Right that night, the endoscopic team was urgently activated. However, the process of removing the foreign object was not easy at all. Because the child's stomach still had a lot of undigested food, doctors had to spend a lot of time and concentrate highly to detect and access the foreign object safely. Finally, the coin was successfully removed, helping the child escape danger.
This is the 3rd case of foreign object removal in just 1 month that has been successfully treated at the Provincial Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, showing that the risk of children swallowing foreign objects is still present, especially during the period near Tet and Lunar New Year when children are frequently exposed to coins, small toys, and household items.
Doctors recommend that parents observe and watch over their children carefully; limit letting children play or hold small, slippery, and easy-to-swallow objects. When suspecting that a child has swallowed foreign objects, absolutely do not treat it at home but quickly take the child to a medical facility for examination and timely intervention to avoid unfortunate complications.
