Successful treatment of a child with multiple foreign bodies in the airway

The patient is YSN, born in 2019, residing in Yang Mao commune, Krong Bong district, Dak Lak province. On April 2, the hospital admitted the patient in a state of difficulty breathing, wheezing, and diffuse rales in the lungs, especially in the right lung...

According to the patient's family, a month ago, the child had a persistent cough at the nursery. The family took the child to many places for treatment but it did not get better. The cough got worse and the difficulty breathing increased, especially at night, so the family took the child to the hospital.

After receiving the child, doctors at the Central Highlands General Hospital performed a chest X-ray. The results showed a suspicious image of a small radiopaque foreign body, signs of localized lung collapse and increased brightness in the right lung, suggesting partial obstruction. The child was then anesthetized with endotracheal intubation and bronchoscopy. The results revealed that the foreign body was a small transparent LED light, located in the lower lobe bronchus of the right lung, causing inflammation and partial obstruction of the right lung. After identifying the foreign body, the doctors quickly and successfully removed the foreign body.

However, after removing the LED light bulb foreign body, the doctors monitored and discovered that the child's symptoms had not completely subsided. Realizing that the difficulty breathing was not commensurate with the lung damage, raising the question of the existence of another foreign body, in order not to miss any possibility, the child was ordered by the doctors to have a comprehensive CT scan. The surprising result was the discovery of another foreign body in the posterior nasal opening. On the afternoon of April 3, the doctors continued to perform a posterior nasal endoscopy and successfully removed the foreign body, a pencil eraser, it is unclear how long it had been stuck.

After two attempts to remove the foreign object, the child still has severe pneumonia due to prolonged obstruction and is continuing to be treated at the Department of Pediatrics, Central Highlands General Hospital with antibiotics, oxygen support, and close monitoring of respiratory progress.

Dr. Tran Thi Thuy Minh, Head of the Department of Pediatrics at the Central Highlands General Hospital, said that choking on a foreign body in the airway is a common emergency in young children, especially those under 5 years old, due to their curiosity and fondness for putting objects in their mouths. However, diagnosis can be difficult when the foreign body is transparent or radiopaque, leading to delayed treatment and the risk of serious complications. Therefore, parents need to be careful when letting their children play with small, easily swallowed objects or eat foods with small bones or seeds. If you suspect that your child is choking on a foreign body, take them immediately to a medical facility for timely treatment to avoid possible dangerous complications.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/xu-ly-thanh-cong-mot-benh-nhi-mac-nhieu-di-vat-duong-tho-post870145.html