Kauvery Hospital, Tirunelveli successfully treated young child who swallowed an open safety pin

Foreign body ingestion is a common problem among very young children, and sometimes sharp objects such as coins, needles, toothpicks or open safety pins are accidentally ingested leading to an emergency situation.

Two days ago, a small boy aged 3 years from Kovilpatti was admitted in Tirunelveli Kauvery Hospital with the complaints that he had swallowed an open safety pin.

The child was examined and the X-ray showed that the pin swallowed was present in the stomach. Since this was a sharp object, it was necessary to remove it immediately. But the child had eaten food after he swallowed the pin, and therefore the procedure to remove the pin could not be done immediately and we had to wait for 5 hours.

After 5 hours, the child was taken in for endoscopy. A team of anaesthetists and nurses safely performed endoscopy and easily removed the open safety pin, without causing any damage to the intestine, oesophagus or stomach. Post the endoscopy, the child regained normalcy and was discharged on the next day itself.

Speaking of this, Dr. A. Shafique, Interventional Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist said, “Young Children, especially babies, toddlers and preschoolers, are curious by nature, and this curiosity can lead to dangerous situations when they accidentally swallow something not meant to be eaten. In such a situation it is best to rush to the nearest hospital without delay, so that immediate action can be taken. I am very thankful and really appreciate the efforts of the team of anaesthetists and nurses who supported me in this case and saved the child.”

Dr. K. Lakshmanan, Medical Admin of the hospital appreciated Dr. A. Shafique and his team for their swift action and dedication in carefully handling the case with great success, thereby reposing the trust and faith of the public in the institution.