Coin Found in Child's Digestive Tract Prompting Urgent Surgical Intervention

In Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province, a doctor identified a coin stuck in the upper digestive tract of a one-and-a-half-year-old child when he conducted a chest X-ray. The coin, which had turned black, indicated that it had been trapped in the child's system for more than a month. Initially, the child had been admitted for pneumonia, and the parents reported that they had not noted any concerning symptoms previously, as the boy did not exhibit signs of intestinal blockage such as nausea, vomiting, or persistent crying.

The physician explained that due to the child's age and the position of the foreign object within the gastric cavity, spontaneous expulsion was deemed improbable. The risk of gastric acid causing corrosion and potentially releasing harmful substances heightens the urgency for surgical removal, which the doctor recommended for safety measures. However, the parents hesitated due to fears surrounding anesthesia used in gastrointestinal endoscopy, hoping the coin would pass on its own.

After a few days, the parents returned with the child, and an imaging study confirmed the coin was still present. The doctor reassured the parents about the necessity of a gastroscopic procedure to safely extract the foreign body. Given the patient's young age and the sensitivity of the esophagus, the procedure required high levels of skill and caution from the medical team.

The surgery was completed without complications, with the coin successfully removed within approximately 10 minutes. The medical team received heartfelt thanks from the parents, who expressed gratitude for the timely detection and intervention, acknowledging the dire consequences that could have ensued. Experts advise that exposure to corrosive foreign objects in the digestive tract can lead to serious poisoning, underscoring the importance of immediate medical attention in such cases.