Urgent operation for a patient was performed small intestine by a toothpick

17/06/2021 09:58

On June 1^st, 2021, Viet Duc University Hospital received patient P. T. V. (57 years old) who was alert on admission with mild fever, palpable, tense, painful mass in felt iliac fossa. 

 

By medical history investigation, his family member shared that patient V. suffered from an abdominal pain one month ago, was diagnosed an enteritis and was indicated for medical treatment. Despite of the antibiotherapy, infusion and pain killers, that abdominal pain was not relieved. On admission at the emergency department of Viet Duc University Hospital, patient was examined and taken para-clinical test including ultrasound, CT scanner, therefore a foreign object that piercing through intestinal wall was found.

 

Dr. NGUYEN Hai Nam PhD., MD., Deputy Head of Hepato-biliary Surgery Department, Viet Duc University Hospital thought that that lesion required an urgent operation with the diagnosis of a local peritonitis due to small intestine perforation by a foreign object and soon the patient was transferred to the operating room. During the laparotomy, surgeons found few cloudy fluids in the pelvis and a foreign object of 6 cm long toothpick that pierced through a ileum wall, was covered by bowel loops to create a mass in the left iliac fossa. A 30 cm ileum was removed together with the lesion and end to end anastomosis was made.

 

 

Post-operative days, patient V. was alert, no fever; abdomen was soft so the nasogastric tube was removed, he could have small light meal and but still monitored.

 

 

Dr. NGUYEN Hai Nam PhD., MD. added that Viet Duc University Hospital has received the cases of intestinal perforation by toothpick and mostly due to a living habit of laying down right after eating then unintentionally swallowing the toothpick without any notice.