On 3/7, doctors at Dong Nai Children's Hospital performed an endoscopy to remove a live climbing perch from a 4-year-old boy's throat. The child is now in stable condition.
The boy's father had caught the fish and placed it in a basin of water for his son to play with. When the boy put the fish in his mouth, it unexpectedly jumped into his throat, causing him to cough and cry out. His family rushed him to Long Thanh Regional General Hospital. He was vomiting phlegm and blood, and doctors there were only able to remove some fragments of the fish.
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The live climbing perch removed from the boy's throat. Photo: Thai Ha |
The live climbing perch removed from the boy's throat. Photo: Thai Ha
The boy was transferred to Dong Nai Children's Hospital where doctors performed an endoscopy under general anesthesia to remove the approximately 7 cm long, live climbing perch, which had sharp fins and spines, from the boy’s throat.
Dr. Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Director of Dong Nai Children's Hospital, advised parents not to let young children play with live fish unsupervised. Children are often curious and may put fish in their mouths or cause them to jump.
"If a fish jumps into someone's mouth, it will instinctively try to swim further down the throat, which can cause airway obstruction and lack of oxygen to the brain, potentially leading to death. In addition, the fish's sharp fins can scratch the airway or esophagus, leaving scars and causing airway narrowing," Dr. Nghia explained.
Phuoc Tuan
