On May 15, Hoan My Cuu Long Hospital announced that it had just successfully treated a rare foreign body in the airway for a male patient.
The patient, Mr. T.V.S (65 years old, Thoi Lai district, Can Tho city) was admitted to Hoan My Cuu Long Hospital in a state of continuous coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and wheezing.
Previously, the patient had a cough when eating sour soup cooked with fish and thought it was just a cough due to food stings.
Through clinical examination and a chest CT scan, doctors discovered a blurred spot in the right lung area, suspected of foreign-acquired pneumonia.
bronchial endoscopy results showed a piece of fish bone longer than 6cm, sharp, deeply embedded in the affected bronchial lobes under the patient's right lung. The foreign object causes swelling, partial blockage of the airway and is surrounded by a lot of food residue and debris.
The medical team has performed a soft tissue bronchial endoscopy - an in-depth technique with modern support equipment, especially in complex cases such as sharp foreign bodies or deep in the bronchi.
The procedure lasted nearly 60 minutes. After the foreign object was successfully removed, the patient was monitored at the hospital for 24 hours and discharged in a stable state of health, without any complications.
Doctor Nguyen Thanh Thai - General Department, Hoan My Cuu Long Hospital - said that if the foreign object is not detected and treated promptly, it can lead to pneumonia, severe infections or even life-threatening if the foreign object causes airway obstruction. This case was fortunate to be detected early and handled properly, avoiding dangerous complications.
Through this patient's case, Dr. Thai also recommends that people be careful while eating to avoid itching or choking foreign objects. When showing signs of prolonged coughing, wheezing, chest pain or difficulty breathing after eating, the patient should go to a medical facility immediately for timely examination; absolutely do not arbitrarily find a way to remove the foreign object from the airway if you suspect bone smoking or food stings, because it can cause severe damage and be life-threatening.
