A six-month-old baby arrived at the Assuta Public Hospital in Ashdod earlier this week after suffering from a persistent cough, wheezing, shortness of breath and vomiting for about a month and a half.
During this period, his parents sought medical treatment several times and he was treated with inhalations and medication, but without significant improvement.
Upon arrival at the hospital emergency room, the baby was given an X-ray, which revealed an unusual foreign body in the esophagus: a pack of staples. Some of the staples remained attached to each other, and others separated and became embedded in the wall of the esophagus.
Due to the location of the staples and the baby's respiratory condition, it was decided to urgently transfer him to the operating room. Teams from pediatric gastroenterology, otolaryngology, and pulmonary departments, along with the anesthesia team, participated in the procedure, partly due to concerns that some of the staples had also reached the respiratory tract.
During a complex operation that lasted about an hour and a half, the staples were removed one by one, including staples that were embedded in the wall of the esophagus.
The prolonged presence of the pins in the baby's body has already caused local injury, edema, inflammation, and infection in the area.
After they were removed, he was treated with antibiotics, acid-reducing medications, steroids, and inhalations. Initially, he was even fed via tube to allow his esophagus to recover and heal.
Photo: Assuta Spokesperson Ashdod
Dr. Hani Oliveston, director of the pediatric gastroenterology unit at Assuta Ashdod Public Hospital: "The baby came to us after a long period of coughing, shortness of breath, and wheezing that did not go away despite the treatments he received. In the case of a baby who cannot tell what happened or if he swallowed something, it is important to remember that a foreign body can also cause ongoing symptoms.
""In this case, the staples had already caused inflammation, infection, and edema in the esophagus, and the baby's respiratory condition was not good. Fortunately, we were able to remove all the staples. The message to parents is simple: When symptoms persist and do not improve as expected, it is important to continue to find the cause.".
