On April 4, the Central Highlands General Hospital announced that it had successfully treated a 6-year-old boy who had multiple foreign objects stuck in his airways.

The patient is YSN (born in 2019, residing in Yang Mao commune, Krong Bong district, Dak Lak province). On April 2, the Central Highlands General Hospital admitted the patient in a state of difficulty breathing, wheezing, and diffuse snoring, especially in the right lung. According to the patient's family, 1 month ago, the child had a prolonged cough, and treatment in many places did not help. The cough symptoms became more severe, and the difficulty breathing gradually increased, especially at night, so the family took the child to the hospital.

The doctor examined the patient.

After recording the child's case, doctors at the Central Highlands General Hospital performed a chest X-ray. The results showed a suspicious image of a small radiopaque foreign body, signs of localized lung collapse and increased brightness in the right lung, suggesting partial obstruction. The child was then anesthetized with endotracheal intubation and bronchoscopy. The results revealed that the foreign body was a small transparent LED light bulb, located in the lower lobe bronchus of the right lung, causing inflammation and partial obstruction of the right lung. After identifying the foreign body, the doctors quickly and successfully removed the foreign body.

However, after removing the foreign object, the doctors monitored and discovered that the child's symptoms had not completely subsided. Realizing that the difficulty breathing was not commensurate with the lung damage, raising the question of the existence of another foreign object, in order not to miss any possibility, the child was ordered a comprehensive CT scan by the doctors. The results were surprising when another foreign object was discovered in the posterior nasal opening. On the afternoon of April 3, the doctors continued to perform a posterior nasal endoscopy and successfully removed the foreign object, a pencil eraser, it is unclear how long it had been stuck. After removing the foreign object twice, the child still has severe pneumonia due to prolonged obstruction and is continuing to be treated at the General Pediatrics Department with antibiotics, oxygen support, and close monitoring of respiratory progress.

According to Dr. Tran Thi Thuy Minh - Head of the Department of Pediatrics, Tay Nguyen General Hospital, choking on foreign bodies in the airway is a common emergency in young children, especially those under 5 years old, due to their curiosity and fondness for putting 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 recommends that parents should be careful when letting their children play with small, easy-to-swallow objects or eat foods with small bones or seeds. If you suspect that your child is choking on a foreign body, take him or her to a medical facility immediately for timely treatment to avoid possible dangerous complications.