Doctors in the Respiratory Medicine Department at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai successfully removed a small LED bulb from the left lung of the eight-month-old girl.
The incident began when the child's parents noticed she was having difficulty breathing. They initially took her to Dindigul Medical College Hospital, where doctors treated her for a cold. However, her breathing troubles persisted, prompting an X-ray, which revealed a small metal object resembling a safety pin. Following this, the child was referred to GRH's Pediatric Surgery Department.
Soon after, under the guidance of Dr. Kuppusamy, Head of the Pediatric Surgery Department, a CT scan was conducted, the scan confirmed the object in the left lung. Dr. R. Prabhakaran, Professor and Head of the Respiratory Department, explained that typical procedures to extract foreign objects couldn't be used because administering local anesthesia to an infant posed complications. Moreover, general anesthesia was ruled out due to the baby's narrow airways.
After assessing the child's condition, the team opted for the laryngeal mask airway technique to avoid further risk.
Bronchoscopy—a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure for diagnosing and treating airway issues—was attempted as a final measure before considering more complex interventions.
Dr. Prabhakaran, Professor and Head of the Respiratory Department
What is Bronchoscopy? Bronchoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that enables healthcare providers to examine the inside of the airways and lungs using a bronchoscope. This slender tube, equipped with a light and camera, assists in diagnosing, assessing, and sometimes treating issues affecting the lungs, trachea (windpipe), or throat.
While bronchoscopy had been used previously at GRH for removing food particles in toddlers, this marked the first time it was performed on a child as young as eight months.
Upon successfully extracting the object, the doctors identified it as an LED bulb from a toy car, likely ingested while the child was playing. Since the object only caused breathing difficulty instead of completely blocking the airway, the child exhibited minor discomfort, which delayed the parents’ awareness of the incident.
The child showed a good recovery and was discharged later.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Josna Lewis/MSM)
