It is must read for parents who does not look at their tiny tots when they are playing. Medical fraternity comes across lots of cases like children swallowing coins, clips, ear rings, etc. Here is a case wherein a needle was stuck in the lung of a 7 year old child. The doctors of AIIMS, Delhi have successfully removed the needle from the lung of a 7 year boy. The doctors’ innovative approach of using a magnet to extract the needle from the deep location within the lung highlights the importance of adapting to complex medical situations.
A 7 year old boy was referred to AIIMS from 0a private hospital with complaints of high fever and coughing up blood for specialized treatment. The doctors at AIIMS after thorough investigations noticed that, a sewing needle was stuck in his left lung. The exact circumstances surrounding how the needle ended up in his lung were not disclosed. Dr. Vishesh Jain, an Additional Professor in the Paediatric Department at AIIMS, explained that conventional methods for removing foreign objects from the lungs, such as bronchoscopy, were challenging in this case because the needle was deeply embedded in the lung, leaving limited space for their instruments.
Sometimes thinking out of the box helps to address such challenges, the medical team decided to use a magnet to safely extract the needle. Doctors procured a small magnet (4 mm in width and 1.5 mm in thickness) from Chandni Chowk, which proved to be the perfect tool for the job.
The use of the magnet and a specially designed instrument, which was equipped with a single jaw and securely affixed the magnet using thread and a rubber band, allowed them to manoeuvre the magnet to the needle’s location without risking dislodging it into the trachea. The procedure began with an endoscopy of the windpipe to assess the needle’s precise location. With the magnet-tipped instrument, the medical team was able to successfully extract the needle, and the boy has been discharged after a safe recovery.
This case demonstrates the importance of medical innovation and adaptability in finding creative solutions to complex and potentially life-threatening situations. The use of a magnet and the specialized instrument allowed the medical team to avoid more invasive procedures, such as open-heart surgery, and safely remove the foreign object from the boy’s lung.
