Wockhardt Hospital Successfully Pulled Out Foreign Bodies Lodged in Children During the Lockdown

Doctors at the Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, is facing emergency situations, one of the commonest being a foreign body in children. Dr. Neepa Vellimuttam, Consultant ENT surgeon, carried out endoscopic management of the one-rupee coin stuck in the 1-year-old child’s food pipe. And a metallic bead was also removed from a 4-year-old’s nose. The hospital is fully functional and providing emergency care even during this lockdown period.

All education institutes, social, political, sports, cultural, academic, and entertainment gatherings are prohibited. Hence, people have been advised to stay at home. That is why the number of cases seen during this lockdown period is surprisingly more, maybe as children are being mischievous at home, and trying different things.

Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road gave a new lease of life to 1-year-old Riaan and 4-year-old Amrita, even during the lockdown period, on April 13. Riaan, accidentally swallowed a 1-rupee coin while playing and found difficulty in swallowing. Similarly, Amrita accidentally inserted a metallic bead in her nose while playing, after which her nose started bleeding. Since their parents couldn’t find any ENT surgeon in the area, both the patients were rushed to the Emergency department of Wockhardt hospital, Mira Road.

Dr Neepa Vellimuttam, Consultant ENT surgeon, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road, highlighted, “On arrival in an emergency, Riaan couldn’t breathe freely. An x-ray confirmed the position of the coin, lodged in cricopharynx (the narrowest part of our food pipe). The child was immediately shifted to the OT as a delayed treatment would have cost him his life. A 4 mm laryngoscope (an endoscope for examining the interior of the larynx) was inserted into his throat to pull out the coin.

She added, “Likewise, Amrita’s x-ray revealed that the bead was lodged in the posterior part of the nose. In the OT, a narrow endoscope was used to remove the bead. Both the procedures were performed in 5 minutes, and the patients were shifted to the normal ward and were discharged after a day. Both the patients are fine now.”

“Foreign body insertion in children is one of the commonest emergencies seen by ENT surgeons. However, parents need to be careful and keep a close eye on children (especially on the toddler age group that is 2-5 who tend to experiment with coins and beads. Spend some quality time with your children. The hospital is relentlessly working to serve the patients during the crisis of coronavirus, and is committed to doing so,” said Dr. Neepa.

Parents of both the patients have thanked the doctors of the hospital for saving the lives of their children during such a crucial period (when the entire country is under the lockdown), and helping their children get back on track.