TP HCMAn 8-month-old boy was playing with a mango, suddenly coughed, cried, and then had difficulty breathing. The doctor discovered a foreign object deep in the bronchus. Two endoscopy still could not be removed.
The patient was intubated by a lower-level hospital and transferred to the City Children’s Hospital. After two failed endoscopy attempts due to foreign objects lying too deep and making access difficult, doctors asked Children’s Hospital 2 for support on the evening of April 27.
Pediatric endoscopy team 2 used a bronchoscopy system with a flexible scope and specialized equipment to successfully remove a foreign object that was the stem of a mango. Currently, the baby’s condition is stable and is being treated and monitored further.
The mango stem is picked out. Image: Hospital provided
The mother said that when the boy suddenly coughed and choked, she carried him on her shoulder, patted his back to calm him down, and was allowed to monitor him at home. The next morning, the baby had difficulty breathing and had a purple attack, so the family took him to the hospital.
Doctor 2 Le Thi Thanh Thao, Deputy Head of Respiratory Department 1, Children’s Hospital 2, said that foreign objects in the airway are a common dangerous accident in children, especially children under 3 years old. This is the age group that likes to explore and often puts objects in their mouths. Foreign bodies can also occur in older children due to carelessness during daily activities.
Foreign objects in the airway pose a threat to a child’s life by blocking the airway, leading to lack of oxygen. Parents should not let children play or cry while eating or feed them nuts or small toys.
Regularly educate and remind older children to limit playing with school tools and small objects and not put them in their mouths to avoid the risk of choking. When a child shows signs of choking on a foreign object, perform first aid with back pats, chest compressions (for children under 2 years old) or the Heimlich maneuver (for children over 2 years old), then take him to a medical facility for examination. Investigate and handle promptly.