Save the child who swallowed a sharp screw

On March 16, information from Quang Tri General Hospital said that doctors had just performed emergency surgery to save the life of a 34-month-old child who had swallowed a sharp screw.

Specifically, patient HPH (living in Don Due village, Vinh Hoa commune, Vinh Linh district) was taken to the hospital by his family at 5:11 p.m. on March 15 after discovering that he had swallowed a screw.

X-ray image of foreign body

PHOTO: THANH LOC

Here, the patient was examined by doctors from the General Surgery Department of Quang Tri General Hospital and ordered an abdominal X-ray, which discovered a foreign object in the digestive tract, measuring 24.15 mm.

As soon as the image of the foreign object was discovered, the doctors of the General Surgery Department quickly consulted and coordinated with the Functional Exploration Department to perform an endoscopy to remove the foreign object that same night. Up to now, the health of patient H. has stabilized.

The screw when taken out

PHOTO: THANH LOC

Swallowing foreign objects is a common accident in young children, especially children under 5 years old. Common foreign objects that children often swallow include: coins, button batteries, screws, magnets, small toys, fish bones... After swallowing a foreign object, most children do not show any obvious symptoms, or may hide it.

However, some babies may experience symptoms such as nausea, cyanosis, difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing or pain behind the sternum. Late complications can cause ulcers, obstruction, or even intestinal perforation causing peritonitis.

Doctors warn that if a child shows any of the above signs, they should be taken to a medical facility immediately. Parents should also be careful to avoid letting their children play with small, easily swallowed objects.

Source: https://archive.vietnam.vn/cuu-chau-be-nuot-phai-cay-dinh-vit-sac-nhon/