In a critical and high-risk case, doctors have removed fragments of a peanut stuck in the right main bronchus (one of the main tubes that carry air to the lungs) of a 3-year-old girl, restoring her ability to breathe normally and sparing her from potentially life-threatening complications.
The child was brought to the Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh in a critical condition with symptoms of high-grade fever, cough, vomiting since 10 days & severe respiratory distress since last 3 days. Upon her examination, doctors observed significantly reduced air entry on the right side of her chest and wheeze (abnormal whistling sounds heard in the lungs during breathing) on auscultation (listening through stethoscope). Decreased air entry on right side aroused suspicion of foreign body aspiration.
Dr. Sonia Mittal, Director - Paediatrics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, stated, “Foreign body aspiration in young children is far more common than people realize and can lead to severe complications if not diagnosed early. In this case, timely identification, advanced diagnostics, and expert intervention ensured the child’s complete recovery. In this particular case, the peanut was stuck for at least 10 days. Parents should always monitor their young children & should avoid hard foods like dry fruits in diet. Common objects that children may aspirate are peanuts, dry fruits, candies, small toys, beads, and marbles. Organic materials like peanuts can cause significant inflammation in the airways if not removed promptly.”
Dr. Deepak Kumar, Consultant, Paediatric Pulmonology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, further added, “During extraction, the peanut broke into two pieces – a common scenario when dealing with soft organic foreign bodies like nuts, which are prone to fragmentation. The team also noted granulation tissue forming around the peanut due to the body’s inflammatory response. Inhalational steroids were administered to help manage the inflammation and ensure complete recovery.”
"Children under the age of 3 are still learning how to eat properly. In the body, there are two main pipes — the windpipe (trachea) and the esophagus (food pipe). When we swallow food, a flap called the epiglottis partially covers the windpipe to prevent food from entering it, allowing us to breathe safely. However, young children often play or run while eating, and if they eat hard food during this time, it can accidentally slip into the windpipe instead of going down the esophagus. This is common in children below 3 years old and is not a disease — it's typically an accidental occurrence. Parents should avoid giving hard foods to children under 3 years of age. Examples include peanuts, hard candy, chana, or hard dry fruits. If parents wish to offer these foods, they should be crushed or ground to avoid the risk of choking. The procedure took 5-10 minutes. In the procedure, we first use a flexible scope to visualise where the stuck food is. then we put down a basket which is connected to a wire. this procedure of visualisation is called flexible bronchoscopy and removal process is called foreign body removal," Dr Deepak said.
The child was brought to the Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh in a critical condition with symptoms of high-grade fever, cough, vomiting since 10 days & severe respiratory distress since last 3 days. Upon her examination, doctors observed significantly reduced air entry on the right side of her chest and wheeze (abnormal whistling sounds heard in the lungs during breathing) on auscultation (listening through stethoscope). Decreased air entry on right side aroused suspicion of foreign body aspiration.
Dr. Sonia Mittal, Director - Paediatrics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, stated, “Foreign body aspiration in young children is far more common than people realize and can lead to severe complications if not diagnosed early. In this case, timely identification, advanced diagnostics, and expert intervention ensured the child’s complete recovery. In this particular case, the peanut was stuck for at least 10 days. Parents should always monitor their young children & should avoid hard foods like dry fruits in diet. Common objects that children may aspirate are peanuts, dry fruits, candies, small toys, beads, and marbles. Organic materials like peanuts can cause significant inflammation in the airways if not removed promptly.”
Dr. Deepak Kumar, Consultant, Paediatric Pulmonology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, further added, “During extraction, the peanut broke into two pieces – a common scenario when dealing with soft organic foreign bodies like nuts, which are prone to fragmentation. The team also noted granulation tissue forming around the peanut due to the body’s inflammatory response. Inhalational steroids were administered to help manage the inflammation and ensure complete recovery.”
"Children under the age of 3 are still learning how to eat properly. In the body, there are two main pipes — the windpipe (trachea) and the esophagus (food pipe). When we swallow food, a flap called the epiglottis partially covers the windpipe to prevent food from entering it, allowing us to breathe safely. However, young children often play or run while eating, and if they eat hard food during this time, it can accidentally slip into the windpipe instead of going down the esophagus. This is common in children below 3 years old and is not a disease — it's typically an accidental occurrence. Parents should avoid giving hard foods to children under 3 years of age. Examples include peanuts, hard candy, chana, or hard dry fruits. If parents wish to offer these foods, they should be crushed or ground to avoid the risk of choking. The procedure took 5-10 minutes. In the procedure, we first use a flexible scope to visualise where the stuck food is. then we put down a basket which is connected to a wire. this procedure of visualisation is called flexible bronchoscopy and removal process is called foreign body removal," Dr Deepak said.
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