Successfully removed plastic ballpoint pen cap in the respiratory tract of a child patient

(DN) - Doctors at Dong Nai Children's Hospital have successfully performed an endoscopy to remove a foreign object, a plastic ballpoint pen cap, about 1cm long, from a child's bronchus.

Doctors perform endoscopy to remove foreign objects for a child patient. Photo: BVCC

The patient is a 12-year-old boy named TKT, residing in Binh Minh commune, who was admitted to the emergency room on the morning of July 18 with a persistent cough and hoarseness.

Through medical history, 2 weeks before being admitted to the hospital, the child had a plastic ballpoint pen cap in his mouth, then coughed and choked for about 5 minutes, but the family did not take him to the doctor. The child was afraid of being scolded by his parents, so he did not say that he had swallowed a foreign object.

After 3 days of swallowing the foreign object, the child had a fever, coughed a lot and had a hoarse voice. At this time, the child told his parents that he had swallowed a foreign object. After that, the family took the child to a private clinic in the area. He was given medication for a week but it was not clear what kind of medication. The child's fever was gone but he still had a hoarse voice and cough.

On July 18, the baby coughed a lot, had a fever again, and had a severe hoarse cough. He was taken to a private clinic for examination and chest X-ray. The clinic then transferred the baby to Dong Nai Children's Hospital.

Through a contrast CT scan of the chest, doctors found a foreign object about 1cm in size deep in the middle bronchus of the child's right lung, causing collapse of the middle and lower lobes of the lung.

A plastic ballpoint pen cap was removed from the patient's respiratory tract. Photo: BVCC

Recognizing that this was a case with a high risk of respiratory complications, the hospital quickly held a consultation and implemented intervention. Master, Doctor Tran Le Duy Cuong, Deputy Head of the Department of Intensive Care - Anti-Poison and the team, with the support of the anesthesia and resuscitation team of the Department of Surgery - Anesthesia and Resuscitation, coordinated to perform endoscopy and successfully remove the foreign object from the patient's airway.

After the foreign object was removed, the patient's health improved in a positive direction.

Hanh Dung

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/tin-moi/202507/gap-thanh-cong-di-nap-but-bi-nhua-trong-duong-ho-hap-cua-benh-nhi-620351d/