Many children suffer airway damage due to choking on foreign objects.

Many children suffer airway injuries due to choking on foreign objects, such as peanuts or fish bones. Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital has successfully treated two such cases. Parents need to pay attention to food choices and guide their children on safe eating habits to avoid the risk of choking.

According to Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, they recently admitted two child patients with airway injuries, suspected to be caused by foreign body aspiration.

Specifically, the two children are D.MA (29 months old, residing in Khoai Chau commune, Hung Yen province) and NNL (25 months old, residing in Ha Lam ward, Quang Ninh province).

According to information provided by the family of patient D.MA, about 4 days before being admitted to the hospital, the child developed wheezing and rattling sounds that gradually worsened.

Doctors at Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital successfully removed a foreign object via endoscopy, saving the child's life. (Photo: Hospital provided)

Regarding patient NNL, the family shared that the child had a persistent cough with phlegm for a week, and antibiotics did not help, so they brought him to Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital for examination.

Here, doctors performed X-rays on the two children, and the results showed that both children had abnormalities in their lungs such as air trapping and opacity around the pulmonary hilum. Specifically, child NNL had a reduced volume and poor radiolucency in the left lung, and a long, collapsed lower lobe of the right lung.

Given the critical situation, the doctors held an emergency consultation and determined that both children had foreign objects lodged in their airways, requiring emergency bronchoscopy.

The endoscopic results showed that a foreign object, a peanut measuring 0.5 x 0.7 cm, was present in the right main bronchus of patient NNL, completely obstructing it.

In the case of patient D.MA, doctors discovered a 1.5 x 1 cm fish bone lodged in the trachea, approximately 3 cm from the vocal cords, causing mucosal congestion, fluid accumulation, and laryngeal edema.

During an endoscopy, doctors discovered a foreign object obstructing the child's airway. (Photo: Provided by the hospital)

The surgical team, consisting of doctors Nong Van Manh and Le Canh Nhat (Department of Respiratory - Cardiovascular - Digestive - Neurological), along with doctors Luong Trung Kien, Ngo Duc Danh, and the anesthesia and recovery team, successfully performed an endoscopic procedure to safely remove the foreign object.

Following the procedure, both children's health stabilized and they were discharged from the hospital.

According to Dr. Nong Van Manh, the hospital has recently observed an increasing number of young children admitted due to foreign body aspiration in the airways and digestive tract. The foreign bodies are mainly peanuts, fish bones, large, hard, and sharp pieces of food, which can easily cause injury, inflammation, and edema of the trachea and lungs, obstructing the airways and even posing a life-threatening risk.

Therefore, doctors advise parents to be careful in choosing food for their children and guide them in eating to minimize the risk of hard objects in their food. Particular attention should be paid to the following during mealtimes: Carefully remove bones when feeding children fish; feed children small pieces and teach them to chew thoroughly; instruct children to eat slowly and not swallow quickly; prevent children from playing or being distracted while eating as this can easily lead to choking; and do not allow children to play with small, sharp objects that can easily be put in their mouths.

When noticing any unusual behavior in a child, and suspecting they have swallowed a foreign object, adults should immediately stop feeding them, keep the child calm, and take them to the nearest medical facility for prompt treatment by a doctor.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/nhieu-tre-bi-ton-thuong-duong-tho-do-hoc-di-vat-169251120100532975.htm