Fish bone stuck in man's throat, small intestine punctured

Recently, doctors at Bai Chay Hospital received patient LTC, 83 years old (living in Mong Cai, Quang Ninh ) who was brought to Bai Chay Hospital by his family in a state of abdominal pain around the navel, increasing pain in the right iliac fossa.

After being examined by doctors, having tests, ultrasound and abdominal CT scan, the doctors discovered a foreign object perforating the small intestine and consulted for emergency surgery.

Dr. Duong Xuan Hiep, Head of General Surgery Department, Bai Chay Hospital, said that during the surgery, doctors discovered a foreign object, a fish bone, that had punctured the small intestine.

man with small intestine punctured by knife image 1 — Image of fish bone fragment removed (Photo: Provided by the hospital).

According to Dr. Hiep, the condition of patients having fish bones piercing the stomach and small intestine is not uncommon. Fish bones have sharp tips that are very dangerous when entering the digestive tract, but many people are still not really vigilant when eating and drinking. The first fish bone may just be stuck in the throat, then it can pierce the digestive system as in the above case. If not detected in time, it will lead to danger to life.

Through the above case, Dr. Hiep recommends that everyone should be careful when eating, especially with foods from animals with bones such as meat and fish. All bones should be removed before eating. Even with small, brittle bones, you should chew them carefully and slowly. Do not be subjective with even small bones. Especially for the elderly and children, whose chewing and swallowing reflexes are weaker, you need to be especially careful.

In cases of persistent abdominal pain that does not subside, or any unusual abdominal pain, the patient should be taken to the hospital for examination, diagnosis and timely treatment by a doctor.

Cases of aspiration of foreign bodies in the digestive tract are less likely to cause immediate life-threatening emergencies such as aspiration of foreign bodies in the respiratory tract. However, if foreign bodies are not removed within a short period of time (within 24 hours), they can cause infections in the digestive tract. When bones or other foreign bodies are aspirated, swallowing additional food or water can push the foreign body deeper into the wall of the lower pharynx or esophagus.

To prevent the risk of choking on foreign objects in the food in general, people need to be careful when eating foods with small bones. Especially for children and the elderly, bones should be separated from food. People with dentures need to be careful of the risk of teeth falling out, causing choking. When drinking alcohol, people should also avoid foods with bones that can easily cause choking and should not laugh and joke while eating and drinking...

Le Trang

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