4-year-old inhales eraser, suffers collapsed lung. Doctors perform major surgery
Doctors conducted a challenging procedure but successfully removed an eraser lodged in a four-year-old Ghaziabad boy's airway after his left lung collapsed.
A four-year-old boy from Ghaziabad recovered after doctors removed a piece of eraser that had become lodged in his airway, causing his left lung to collapse.
According to doctors at Yashoda Medicity, the child had accidentally inhaled the small piece of eraser while playing. The object remained stuck in his left main bronchus, one of the air passages leading to the lungs, for nearly two days.
As the boy developed increasing breathing difficulty and respiratory distress, his family sought medical help. A CT scan carried out at a local hospital revealed the foreign object and showed that his left lung had collapsed. He was then referred for specialised treatment.
Doctors performed an emergency bronchoscopy, a procedure that uses a thin tube to access the airways, and removed the eraser after a 90-minute operation. Once the object was taken out, airflow to the lung was restored and the collapsed lung gradually re-expanded.
The child showed immediate improvement in breathing and was discharged in stable condition the following day.
Doctors involved in the case said treating young children can be particularly challenging because of the small size of their airways. They added that objects such as erasers, toy parts, nuts and seeds can easily become lodged in the windpipe or lungs and turn into medical emergencies.
“This was a particularly challenging procedure because the child’s airway measured only about 4 mm in diameter. Maintaining adequate oxygenation while simultaneously navigating specialised instruments through such a narrow airway required meticulous planning and close coordination between the bronchoscopy and anaesthesia teams over a 90-minute procedure," said Dr Rajesh Kumar Gupta, Director, Respiratory Medicine and Interventional Pulmonology, Yashoda Medicity.
DON'T IGNORE THE SIGNS
Doctors warned that sudden coughing, wheezing or breathing difficulty after a choking episode should not be ignored, as delayed treatment can lead to complications such as lung infections, persistent collapse of the lung and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.
"Cases like these highlight how small objects such as erasers, toy parts, nuts, and seeds can quickly turn into life-threatening airway emergencies in children. Any episode of sudden coughing, wheezing, or breathing difficulty after playing should never be ignored," said Dr. Ankit Bhatia, Senior Consultant, Respiratory Medicine & Interventional Pulmonology.
They advised parents to seek medical attention promptly if a child develops persistent respiratory symptoms after accidentally inhaling or choking on a small object.
A four-year-old boy from Ghaziabad recovered after doctors removed a piece of eraser that had become lodged in his airway, causing his left lung to collapse.
According to doctors at Yashoda Medicity, the child had accidentally inhaled the small piece of eraser while playing. The object remained stuck in his left main bronchus, one of the air passages leading to the lungs, for nearly two days.
As the boy developed increasing breathing difficulty and respiratory distress, his family sought medical help. A CT scan carried out at a local hospital revealed the foreign object and showed that his left lung had collapsed. He was then referred for specialised treatment.
Doctors performed an emergency bronchoscopy, a procedure that uses a thin tube to access the airways, and removed the eraser after a 90-minute operation. Once the object was taken out, airflow to the lung was restored and the collapsed lung gradually re-expanded.
The child showed immediate improvement in breathing and was discharged in stable condition the following day.
Doctors involved in the case said treating young children can be particularly challenging because of the small size of their airways. They added that objects such as erasers, toy parts, nuts and seeds can easily become lodged in the windpipe or lungs and turn into medical emergencies.
“This was a particularly challenging procedure because the child’s airway measured only about 4 mm in diameter. Maintaining adequate oxygenation while simultaneously navigating specialised instruments through such a narrow airway required meticulous planning and close coordination between the bronchoscopy and anaesthesia teams over a 90-minute procedure," said Dr Rajesh Kumar Gupta, Director, Respiratory Medicine and Interventional Pulmonology, Yashoda Medicity.
DON'T IGNORE THE SIGNS
Doctors warned that sudden coughing, wheezing or breathing difficulty after a choking episode should not be ignored, as delayed treatment can lead to complications such as lung infections, persistent collapse of the lung and, in severe cases, respiratory failure.
"Cases like these highlight how small objects such as erasers, toy parts, nuts, and seeds can quickly turn into life-threatening airway emergencies in children. Any episode of sudden coughing, wheezing, or breathing difficulty after playing should never be ignored," said Dr. Ankit Bhatia, Senior Consultant, Respiratory Medicine & Interventional Pulmonology.
They advised parents to seek medical attention promptly if a child develops persistent respiratory symptoms after accidentally inhaling or choking on a small object.
