A CT scan of a 7-month-old baby who swallowed a live fish shows a foreign body (red) in the neck area. The photo on the right shows a foreign body confirmed through endoscopy. Source = Trauma & Case Reports, Comedy.com
[파이낸셜뉴스] In Peru, a 7-month-old baby suffered a hole in his esophagus after swallowing a live fish.
According to the medical journal Comedy.com on the 27th, the emergency medical staff at the National Institute of Pediatric Health in San Borja, Lima, Peru, published a case of an accident that occurred to a 7-month-old baby in the academic journal Trauma & Case Reports.
According to medical staff, the baby showed difficulty breathing and cyanosis after swallowing a live fish. Accordingly, the mother visited the local public health center.
The mother said that the baby’s older brother showed the fish he had caught to his younger brother while he was fishing, and the baby, who was touching it with curiosity, suddenly put the fish in his mouth.
The child’s mother took the child to a local public health center for treatment. The doctor tried to remove the fish from the baby’s body, but it was not enough, and the baby was referred to a higher-level hospital. It was only 24 hours after the accident occurred.
Upon examination at a high-level hospital, there was a white foreign body presumed to be a fish in the bronchial tube and two thorns lodged in the esophagus. In addition, there were several foreign substances believed to be fish spines and scales, which caused the esophagus to be torn and holes were formed.
Medical staff performed treatment to remove fish thorns and scales using an endotracheal tube, forceps, and an esophagogastroduodenoscope. Fortunately, the baby was reported to have recovered healthily without complications.
The medical staff emphasized, “If there is a lack of proper supervision of infants, the possibility of unexpected swallowing accidents increases,” and “Education of guardians to strengthen child supervision is important, especially in environments with high risk exposure, such as rural areas.”
First aid when swallowing a foreign object
When a child swallows a foreign object, you must quickly identify and respond to the emergency situation to determine what the swallowed object is and whether it may enter the airway and cause suffocation.
When insoluble foreign substances such as coins, buttons, etc. are swallowed, they pass through the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. When they reach the stomach, almost 90% are excreted through feces.
However, if the swallowed foreign object is not round but long, thin, or sharp, quick action is needed because it can pierce the mucous membrane inside the organ. If a sharp foreign body becomes stuck in the esophagus, it is accompanied by pain, breathing problems, and vomiting. If it pierces the mucous membrane, ulcerative bleeding, perforation, etc. occur, which can lead to a very emergency situation, and the foreign body must be removed with a gastroscope.
If it is confirmed that a foreign object has been swallowed, do not force the person to vomit or startle the person, and take measures to prevent the person from swallowing water or other food.
Identify the foreign object that has been swallowed, but if the foreign object is stuck in the respiratory tract and is difficult to breathe, report it to the 119 rescue team and provide first aid by pushing the back or using the Heimlich method to spit out the foreign object.
baby before 1st birthdayIn the case of this, place the child in a prone position on the adult’s arm and pat the child on the back with the other hand or turn the baby over so that the head is lower than the chest, and use the guardian’s two fingers to strongly and quickly press the breastbone in the central area slightly below both nipples to a depth of about 4 centimeters.
young after 1st birthdayIn this case, you can help spit out the foreign object by wrapping the abdomen under the sternum from behind and pulling hard.
Youngju Han, a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescents at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, explained, “Repeat this method until the foreign object comes out of the mouth, but do not put your finger in the mouth and sweep it without the foreign object being visible.”
In order to accurately identify foreign substances, an x-ray must be taken, so get a hospital examination as soon as possible.
In particular, if you swallow toxic substances such as lead or mercury, if you experience severe abdominal pain and obstruction of the airway or esophagus, if the foreign body is sharp and long, or if it is difficult to accurately identify the swallowed foreign body, you should visit the hospital immediately.
moon@fnnews.com Reporter Moon Young-jin
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