Rare: A man in Nghe An swallowed a 7cm long toothpick because he fell asleep.
(Baonghean.vn) - On August 27, Mr. Nguyen Van Th (Nghi Hai, Cua Lo, Nghe An) went to Vinh International Hospital with severe abdominal pain for 2 days, accompanied by nausea and fatigue. After examination, the doctor ordered an endoscopy and was surprised to discover a foreign object, a sharp toothpick 7cm long.
Through endoscopy, the doctor discovered a foreign object in the stomach of patient Nguyen Van Th and proceeded to remove the foreign object using endoscopy.
Doctor Phung Thi Hang - Head of Internal Medicine Department, who directly performed the endoscopy to remove the foreign object for the patient, said: "After performing the endoscopy, it was determined that there was a foreign object located at the back of the duodenum, with a sharp end inserted into the intestinal wall causing bleeding, a very dangerous condition because it can perforate the digestive tract. Endoscopy to remove foreign objects is often very complicated, and if it fails, surgery must be accepted."
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| Performing gastroscopy to remove foreign objects for patient Nguyen Van Th. Photo: Kim Chung |
With many years of experience in the field of endoscopy, Dr. Hang skillfully and safely performed the procedure to remove foreign objects for the patient.
The doctors were surprised when the foreign object was a sharp toothpick 7cm long, nearly oxidized. The patient shared: "Three days ago, after picking my teeth, I held the toothpick in my mouth and fell asleep, swallowing it without realizing it. A few days later, I had a stomachache and vomited so much that I went to see a doctor. Luckily, the doctors discovered and removed the foreign object in time, so my health has stabilized."
Normally, foreign objects will be digested without causing any complications. However, sharp foreign objects such as toothpicks have a high risk of causing gastrointestinal perforation and even death if detected and treated late.
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| A 7cm long toothpick was removed from the patient's stomach. Photo: Kim Chung |
Swallowing foreign objects is a common occurrence in emergency cases. Since its inception, Vinh International Hospital has received emergency treatment for many cases of foreign objects in the digestive tract and airways such as: swallowing nails, food residue, dentures, small metal and plastic objects, batteries, etc.
But swallowing a sharp toothpick without knowing it and being discovered late is a rare case, the first time the hospital has received and successfully treated a patient./.
