Quang Ngai: Endoscopy to remove sharp duck bone in esophagus, saving 12-year-old boy

On August 11, the Quang Ngai Province Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital announced that the hospital's Pediatric Gastroenterology Department had successfully removed a foreign object, a sharp 2cm long piece of duck bone, stuck deep in the esophagus of a 12-year-old patient. The patient's health is currently stable and he continues to be monitored at the department.

PHOTO: KIM NY

Previously, on the evening of August 9, a 12-year-old boy in Tra Cau ward, Quang Ngai province, got a duck bone stuck in his throat while eating rice, causing a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and inability to eat or drink.

At noon on August 10, the family took the boy to the Quang Ngai Province Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital in a state of severe sore throat and inability to speak. Through examination and X-ray, the doctor determined that the foreign object was stuck in the C6-C7 segment of the neck. Immediately, the patient was assigned an endoscopy to remove the foreign object.

According to the doctors, the procedure was difficult because the bone fragment had many sharp edges, which could easily damage the esophageal wall and cause bleeding. Thanks to the skillful and experienced manipulation of the team, the foreign object was safely removed.

Experts recommend that parents should supervise their children while they eat, and limit their intake of foods with hard bones such as fish, chicken, and duck; bones should be removed and only the meat should be fed. Children should be instructed to eat slowly and chew thoroughly to avoid choking on foreign objects. In case of an accident, the child should be taken to a specialized medical facility for timely treatment to avoid danger to life.