Doctors at KIMS Hospitals, Visakhapatnam, have successfully removed a sharp metallic hook that had become lodged in the airway of a 22-month-old boy after he accidentally aspirated it while playing.

The child was brought to the hospital by his mother soon after the incident and a chest X-ray revealed a metallic foreign body in the lower airway. Considering the child’s age and the sharp nature of the object, the medical team decided to perform an emergency rigid bronchoscopy to prevent further complications.

Consultant Interventional Pulmonologists Dr. Chukka Bharat and Dr. Sri Lakshmi, Paediatrician Dr. Murali Krishna, Dr.Rahul, Dr.Guru Prasad and their teams, along with Chief Anaesthesiologist Dr. Varma and his team, were involved in the treatment.

During the procedure, the doctors found that the hook was lodged in the right main bronchus. It was carefully removed through rigid bronchoscopy without causing further injury to the airway. The child remained stable following the procedure and was discharged after making an uneventful recovery.

Dr. Bharat said accidental aspiration of foreign objects in young children is a medical emergency and requires prompt evaluation and treatment. Sharp objects lodged in the airway can cause airway injury, bleeding and severe breathing difficulty, he said.

The doctors advised parents to seek immediate medical attention if they suspect that a child has inhaled a foreign object, even if the child appears to be stable initially. They also urged parents and caregivers to keep small, sharp and easily swallowable or aspiratable objects away from young children and ensure that such objects are not within their reach.