On April 4th, the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital announced that it had successfully treated a 6-year-old boy who had multiple foreign objects lodged in his airway.
The patient is YSN (born in 2019, residing in Yang Mao commune, Krong Bong district, Dak Lak province). On April 2nd, the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital admitted the child with shortness of breath, with diffuse wheezing and rhonchi heard on lung auscultation, especially in the right lung. According to the patient's family, about a month ago, the child had a persistent cough that did not improve after treatment at various places. The cough worsened over time, and the shortness of breath increased, especially at night, so the family brought the child to the hospital.
The doctor is conducting an examination of the child.
After diagnosing the child, doctors at the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital performed a chest X-ray. The results suggested a small radiopaque foreign body, localized lung collapse, and increased luminosity in the right lung, suggesting partial obstruction. The child was then intubated and bronchoscopically supervised. The results revealed a small, transparent LED light bulb located in the lower lobe bronchus of the right lung, causing inflammation and partial obstruction. Following the identification of the foreign body, the doctors successfully removed it.
However, after removing the foreign object, doctors monitored the child and found that the symptoms did not completely subside. Noticing that the difficulty breathing was disproportionate to the lung damage, and suspecting the presence of another foreign object, the doctors ordered a comprehensive CT scan to investigate further. The results were surprising, revealing another foreign object in the posterior nasal cavity. On the afternoon of April 3rd, doctors performed a posterior nasal endoscopy and successfully removed the foreign object – a pencil eraser – although it was unclear how long it had been lodged. After two removals, the child still has severe pneumonia due to prolonged obstruction and is continuing treatment in the General Pediatrics Department with antibiotics, oxygen support, and close monitoring of respiratory status.
According to Dr. Tran Thi Thuy Minh, Head of the General Pediatrics Department at the Central Highlands Regional General Hospital, airway obstruction by foreign bodies is a common emergency in young children, especially those under 5 years old, due to their curiosity and tendency to put 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, Dr. Tran Thi Thuy Minh advises parents to be cautious when letting children play with small, easily swallowed objects or eat foods with small bones or seeds. If a child is suspected of having swallowed a foreign body, they should be immediately taken to a medical facility for prompt treatment to avoid potentially dangerous complications.
Source: https://daklak.gov.vn/-/benh-vien-a-khoa-vung-tay-nguyen-cap-cuu-thanh-cong-benh-nhi-mac-nhieu-di-vat-uong-tho
Comment (0)