Coin Ingestion by Child

-

 It is very common for children to ingest different foreign bodies. The most common is ingestion of small coins. The child or toddler while playing tends to put the coin in the mouth.  The coin can either go in the digestive tract or in the trachea or wind pipe. If it goes in the windpipe or trachea it can result in a medical emergency. It can obstruct the trachea and result in gagging. Severe respiratory obstruction and breathlessness can occur. The coin may get stuck in the trachea or go in the bronchi.  Immediate bronchoscopy needs to be done. And the coin removed. If the coin is in the upper segment or pharynx, thumping on the back can result in the child coughing out the coin.

Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla - A Child Specialist in Karachi, another alternative is that the coin enters the oesophagus. It does not generally produce any symptoms and the coin enters initially the stomach, then the intestines and finally the rectum. The coin can be seen on the X- Ray and the progress followed. Diets like banana and rice and Roti should be given to increase peristalsis and help in propelling the coin out through the stools. It generally takes 3-4 days for the coin to get excreted in the stools. Generally, there is no pain and no side effects.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Q/A session with Dr Mubina Agboatwalla

-
Image
  Q. Do children develop kidney stones ? If yes then what are the symptoms and how can they be treated. A. Yes children as young as one year can develop kidney stones. Generally the stones are small and are found either in the renal pelvis or ureter. As they move down the ureter they can cause severe shooting pain in the back or in the flanks. This generally occurs when the child does not drink enough water. Atleast 8 glasses of water should be taken. Renal colic happens specially in the summer months. The urine may contain small quantities of red blood cells. It may or may not be accompanied by a urine infection. The pain is extremely severe and a shooting type of pain. There may be associated vomiting. Plenty of water should be given to flush out the stones. In rare cases laser surgery can be done. Website - https://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/
Read more

Typhoid

-
Image
Typhoid is a disease caused by eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water. According to Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla - child specialist in Karachi , In recent years, typhoid has become more wide spread. Many resistant strains of typhoid have emerged so that patients do not respond to simple treatments. The clinical symptoms include high grade fever going up to 102 -103 °F. The fever does not touch the normal temperature and generally stays for more than a week. The child looks sick, toxic and lethargic. The tongue is coated white and a bad odor comes from the mouth. The child does not feel like eating and feels nauseated. There may be pain in the abdomen and diarrhea may develop. As time passes vomiting may start too. If not treated in time ulcers may develop in the intestines which can be very dangerous. There may be bleeding from the ulcers leading to blood in the stools and the ulcers may burst, which is a surgical emergency resulting in urgent surgery. ...
Read more

Q/A session with Dr Mubina Agboatwalla - Tonsils

-
Image
  Q. My child’s tonsils are very enlarged. Should I get them removed ?? A. You should get one thing clear is that tonsils are lymphatic tissues that protect the germs from entering the pharynx. In the young age group they provide a lot of protection.. They sometimes become enlarged due to infection but can be treated with medicines. However, in no condition should they be removed. Unless and untiAgter 5 years they start to get smaller. l they become so large as to prevent swallowing. They are like the pillars of protection. Keep a good oral hygiene and gargle daily with salt water. Website Link - https://www.drmubinaagboatwalla.com/
Read more