Persistent cough, thought it was a serious illness, but the culprit was fruit seeds

A persistent cough that lasted for a year made Mr. PVK (56 years old, living in Tay Ninh) worried, thinking he was suffering from a dangerous chronic respiratory disease.

For nearly a year, Mr. K. has sought treatment at various medical facilities for his persistent cough, but his condition has not improved. In the past month, his symptoms have worsened significantly; he experiences persistent chest pain, frequent and severe coughing, high fever, and nausea.

Concerned about Mr. K.'s deteriorating health, his family decided to take him to Xuyen An Long An General Hospital for a thorough examination, hoping to find the exact cause and receive definitive treatment.

At the General Internal Medicine clinic, doctors performed a chest CT scan, which revealed an oval-shaped foreign object, approximately 5.5 x 7.0 x 14.5 mm in size, located in the right main bronchus. It was suspected to be a long-standing fruit seed. The patient was immediately scheduled for bronchoscopy to remove the foreign object, preventing serious respiratory complications.

On August 10th, Dr. Truong Minh Hieu, Head of the Endoscopy Department at the hospital, stated that the foreign object was a smooth, black fruit seed lodged deep within the right main bronchus. The seed was surrounded by a white membrane, and the surrounding mucosa was edematous and prone to bleeding. Due to the smooth, flat nature of the foreign object and its deep location, its removal was challenging. However, thanks to the coordinated efforts of the endoscopy team, the doctors successfully removed the foreign object safely without causing damage to adjacent organs.

Following the procedure, the patient's symptoms of cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath significantly improved. Mr. K. continued to be monitored and treated for pneumonia in the General Internal Medicine department. After more than a week of intensive treatment, his health stabilized, and he resumed normal eating habits, allowing him to be discharged and return home with his family.

The fruit seed was removed from the patient's bronchus.

PHOTO: BSCC

Don't underestimate a persistent cough.

"This case is particularly unusual because the patient was unaware they had swallowed a foreign object, leading to complacency and a failure to seek immediate medical attention. By the time persistent coughing symptoms appeared, the examination was not thorough enough to determine the exact cause. If left untreated, the foreign object could become firmly lodged deeper, leading to serious consequences such as respiratory infections, lung abscesses, pleural effusion, and bronchiectasis... All these complications not only make treatment more difficult but also have long-term effects on the patient's respiratory function," shared Dr. Nguyen Van Chien (Department of General Internal Medicine - Respiratory Medicine).

Recently, the hospital has received many cases related to foreign body aspiration in the airways and digestive tract, typically involving bone fragments, pills, fruit seeds, or other small, easily swallowed objects. This condition poses many potential dangers, especially in young children and the elderly – groups more susceptible to accidents while eating.

To prevent choking, people need to be careful while eating, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and avoid talking or laughing while eating. In the unfortunate event of swallowing a foreign object, the patient should be quickly taken to a reputable medical facility for timely and safe treatment. Absolutely do not use folk remedies or attempt to remove the object from the throat at home, as this may cause the foreign object to become lodged deeper or cause serious injury, even endangering life.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ho-dai-dang-tuong-benh-nang-khong-ngo-thu-pham-la-hat-trai-cay-185250810083519309.htm