Chicken bone stuck in bronchus for 2 years without knowing

Endoscopy team removed bone fragments for the old lady - Photo: Hospital

The patient is Mrs. LTHN (71 years old, from Thai Binh province), who was previously treated for a lung disease at a specialized hospital. However, her cough persisted and did not improve, so she was transferred to Can Tho General Hospital, due to suspicion of a foreign body in the airway, along with monitoring of pneumonia on a history of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The patient and his family said they could not remember if he had ever choked on a bone or when. They only remembered that for about 2 years he had been coughing a lot, for a long time, and it got worse when he worked or exerted himself. He had been treated in many places but it did not get better, so they thought it was due to tuberculosis that had not gone away.

The team of doctors performed an examination, ordered an endoscopy to check and remove the foreign object. The endoscopy lasted 30 minutes, through the endoscopic image, the doctors discovered that the intermediate bronchus, the lower lobe of the right lung, was half blocked by a foreign object. On the surface of the bronchus, there was inflammation, congestion and a foreign object was detected.

Because the bronchial inflammation and foreign object had been there for a long time, the team spent a long time removing the foreign object - a piece of bone (suspected to be a chicken bone) longer than 2cm.

According to doctors, the patient had been choking on a foreign object for a long time without knowing it, causing chronic bronchitis and coughing a lot. If the foreign object persists for too long, it will cause pneumonia, lung abscess and other dangerous complications.

Therefore, when detecting abnormalities in the respiratory tract, prolonged cough, or coughing or choking when eating, you need to be examined early at a reputable medical facility with a specialist, for timely detection and treatment.

When accidentally choking on a foreign object, absolutely do not remove it yourself or use your hands to remove the foreign object; also do not be subjective and ignore removing the foreign object. Go to a medical facility for timely examination and treatment.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoc-xuong-ga-2-nam-trong-phe-quan-ma-khong-biet-20240301155800915.htm