Doctors in India miraculously save three-year-old who accidentally inhaled LED bulb

Doctors in India have pulled off an exceptional medical procedure to save a three-year-old boy who inhaled an LED bulb from a toy pen. The bulb was lodged deep within the segmental bronchus of the posterior medial segment of the lower lobe of his left lung.

Doctors at Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital in Malviyanagar, New Delhi responded to the case on an urgent basis.

The boy was presenting symptoms of recurrent coughing over a 15-day period, stemming from his accidental aspiration of the toy pen tip when he was playing. The doctors did an X-ray and found the presence of a wire with a U-bend in the left middle zone of his chest, the hospital said in a press release.

The medical team was swiftly mobilised considering the urgency of the situation when the boy was admitted. Plans were laid for bronchoscopy, but the procedure revealed extensive infection and secretions within the bronchi, complicating the retrieval process and leading to a strategic delay in administering antibiotics and mitigating infection.

The Pediatric Surgery team under Prof Dr Minu Bajpai, Director Emeritus, Madhukar Rainbow Children Hospital, attempted to remove the bulb from the airway using both flexible and rigid Bronchoscopies. However, they couldn't extract the bulb despite their concerted efforts using specialised equipment. After a few attempts, it became evident that a more invasive approach was required to remove the necessary.

After further assessments, including CT scans and additional bronchoscopies, It became clear that surgical intervention was imperative. The surgical team, led by Dr Bajpai, undertook a thoracotomy with precision and skill and miraculously retrieved the bulb without the need for a lobectomy. Dr Chandrasekhar Singha HOD PICU and Dr (Col) Rakhee Goyal HOD Anesthesia gave significant contributions to intra-operative care and post-operative recovery of the patient.

Despite encountering challenges during surgery, including the bulb's entanglement within lung tissue and bronchial walls, the team succeeded. With meticulous precision, a bronchotomy was performed, disengaging and removing the foreign body before closing the bronchial opening and chest layers.

The hospital said that the case serves as a reminder of the inquisitive nature of young children and the potential risks associated with unsupervised play. It also urged the parents to remain vigilant, keeping small objects out of reach to prevent accidental aspiration and safeguard their children's well-being.

The hospital noted that children should be kept away from such objects as Peanuts, Gram-dal, Cashew-supari pieces, dry fruits and any such small objects. Moreover, with the peanut season approaching, heightened awareness is important to ensure the safety of our little ones.