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Whole fish as an unusual foreign body in the throat: a case report
Abstract
Objectives: To draw attention to an unusual foreign body in the throat, while highlighting the weaknesses of our cash and carry health care delivery policy.
Methods: Case report Report: A 17-year-old boy referred with history of accidental ingestion of a live fish. He was said to have caught a live fish, holding it between his teeth while attempting to catch another one. The fish between his teeth escaped into his throat and got stucked there. There was associated difficulty in breathing, pain in the throat and inability to speak. The patient's relatives absconded on the pretext of going to source for funds. Patient had spontaneous expulsion of the fish in the Accident and Emergency. Post expulsion x-ray soft tissues of the neck showed extensive subcutaneous emphysema. The patient absconded from admission afterwards.
Conclusion: There is need for more rapid response in our emergency medical care, and our cash and carry health care policy needs to be modified to cater for the needs of the indigent, and those outside their usual place of domicile.
Keywords: foreign body, throat, whole live fish, subcutaneous emphysema
Nigerian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Vol. 3(1) 2006: 30-35
Methods: Case report Report: A 17-year-old boy referred with history of accidental ingestion of a live fish. He was said to have caught a live fish, holding it between his teeth while attempting to catch another one. The fish between his teeth escaped into his throat and got stucked there. There was associated difficulty in breathing, pain in the throat and inability to speak. The patient's relatives absconded on the pretext of going to source for funds. Patient had spontaneous expulsion of the fish in the Accident and Emergency. Post expulsion x-ray soft tissues of the neck showed extensive subcutaneous emphysema. The patient absconded from admission afterwards.
Conclusion: There is need for more rapid response in our emergency medical care, and our cash and carry health care policy needs to be modified to cater for the needs of the indigent, and those outside their usual place of domicile.
Keywords: foreign body, throat, whole live fish, subcutaneous emphysema
Nigerian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Vol. 3(1) 2006: 30-35
