Boy suffers perforated intestine after swallowing toothpick.
(Baonghean.vn) - While drinking water with a bamboo toothpick in his mouth, Vu accidentally swallowed it. This unusual accident caused scratches on the digestive tract from the esophagus to the stomach of the 14-year-old boy.
Tan Ky District General Hospital announced that it recently received and successfully removed a foreign object from the abdomen of 14-year-old patient Dang Anh Vu, residing in Hong Phuc hamlet, Nghia Phuc commune (Tan Ky).
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| Vu is currently under post-operative observation. |
Accordingly, at 9:58 AM on November 2nd, Vu was admitted to the hospital in a state of excruciating abdominal pain. According to Mr. Dang Anh Tuan, Vu's father, four days before admission, Vu had exhibited symptoms such as abdominal pain around the navel, with the pain gradually increasing and spreading to the right iliac fossa, no vomiting, and difficulty defecating. He also consistently had dry lips, a coated tongue, and a fever of around 38-39 degrees Celsius.
Doctors diagnosed generalized peritonitis. At 5 pm that same day, during an emergency laparoscopic surgery, doctors discovered a sharp toothpick with one-third of it lodged in the abdominal cavity and two-thirds in the rectum, and successfully removed it from Vu's abdomen.
Vu recounted that four days before being hospitalized, he accidentally swallowed a toothpick while drinking water. This unusual accident caused abrasions to the section of his digestive tract from his esophagus to his stomach.
Currently, Vu is conscious, the surgical wound is dry, his blood pressure is stable, his abdomen is slightly distended, and he is in the post-operative recovery and under observation.
Through this case, Dr. Thai Hai Dang - Director of Tan Ky District General Hospital - noted that using bamboo toothpicks to clean teeth, seemingly a simple and normal activity, can sometimes pose a danger to young children. Parents should supervise their children carefully; they should not allow their children to hold or put sharp objects or objects that could be dangerous into their mouths.
Phuong Hao
