Man surprised to discover 4cm "strange object" causing danger in hand

(Dan Tri) - Seeing his hand swollen and painful despite trying every way to intervene, the man went to the hospital for a check-up and the doctor discovered a dangerous foreign object deep inside.

Mr. M. (60 years old, living in Tay Ninh province) came to the hospital with symptoms of pain and swelling in his left hand. Medical history revealed that a week ago, the man accidentally got stabbed in the palm of his hand by a small wooden stick while working. Because it was only a superficial wound, he thought it would heal on its own in a few days.

However, the aforementioned wound subsequently became increasingly swollen and painful. Mr. M. bought medicine to take on his own, but his condition did not improve. When the situation worsened, he became worried and decided to seek help at the hospital.

At the hospital's Orthopedic Trauma Clinic, through clinical examination and soft tissue ultrasound, doctors discovered that the wound in the left hand tissue had torn tendons and showed signs of serious infection, due to the foreign object still in the hand.

Doctors immediately performed surgery to remove the foreign object. A 4cm long piece of bamboo was extracted from the wound, along with a large amount of pus and thick fluid due to a long-term infection.

Close-up of a doctor removing a 4cm foreign object from a patient's hand (Photo: Hospital).

Although the wound was small, because the foreign object was deep and not treated promptly, it almost caused serious consequences, including infection of the entire hand. When the doctor informed him of this, the male patient was also surprised.

After the foreign object was removed and the wound cleaned, the patient was prescribed medication, discharged, and scheduled for a follow-up appointment.

Dr. Nguyen Hoang Cuong, Deputy Head of the Orthopedics Department, advises that people should not be complacent about minor injuries.

Foreign objects such as splinters, needles, pieces of glass, bamboo toothpicks... if not removed promptly can cause infection, abscess formation, necrosis and even sepsis, which is life-threatening, especially for elderly patients with many underlying diseases.

When a sharp object stabs your hand or foot, you need to give first aid properly, clean the wound with saline or antiseptic solution, then bandage it gently. If the foreign object is deeply embedded or the wound is bleeding heavily, you need to keep the foreign object in place and quickly go to the nearest medical facility.

"Do not squeeze, cut or use unsterilized instruments to remove foreign objects, as this can cause the foreign object to go deeper, causing further damage to tissues, muscles, tendons and increasing the risk of infection.

If the wound is swollen, hot, red, painful, has pus or unusual fluid, accompanied by fever and chills, you need to go to a medical facility immediately for examination and timely treatment," the doctor instructed.

Previously, Thong Nhat Hospital (HCMC) said it had received and treated a rare case of liver abscess caused by a foreign body in the digestive tract. The patient, Mr. NTH (58 years old, residing in Bay Hien Ward, HCMC), was admitted to the hospital with prolonged abdominal pain and many complicated underlying diseases.

According to the medical record, about a month before being admitted to the hospital, the patient often had abdominal pain around the navel accompanied by vomiting 2-3 times/day, so he took painkillers on his own but there was no improvement.

Upon admission to Thong Nhat Hospital, the imaging results (CT scan) showed a small piece of bone penetrating the colon wall at the hepatic flexure, creating an abscess measuring 56x36mm with thickening of the colon wall at the hepatic flexure.

Doctors performed endoscopic surgery to remove the foreign object and treat the abscess. After surgery, the patient responded to treatment, liver and kidney function gradually stabilized, and his health recovered well.

Doctors check the man's health after surgery (Photo: Hospital).

Dr. Le Tien Dung, a specialist in Gastrointestinal Surgery, advises people to be especially careful when eating to avoid bones getting into the digestive tract, as this can cause serious complications, even life-threatening ones.

In addition, when experiencing prolonged abdominal pain, people should seek medical attention promptly and avoid self-medicating at home to prevent delayed hospitalization, which can make treatment more difficult and increase the risk of complications.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/nguoi-dan-ong-ngo-ngang-khi-phat-hien-vat-the-la-4cm-gay-nguy-hiem-o-tay-20250906090852374.htm