MKsports chest X-ray of a one-and-a-half-year-old child shows a coin in the digestive tract. Photo: Sina Weibo" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-01-09/ac5e4370-dbac-46b7-ab47-f5a796b819ce.jpeg" />

The chest X-ray of a one-and-a-half-year-old child shows a coin in the digestive tract. Photo: Sina Weibo

A doctor in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province discovered a coin lodged in the upper digestive tract of a one-and-a-half-year-old child when the doctor took a chest X-ray of the child. The coin was surgically removed by the doctor, that had turned black, indicating it had been in the body for over a month, according to the Yangtse Evening Post.

The child was initially admitted to the hospital to treat pneumonia. According to the parents' recollection, they had not noticed any abnormalities in the child before, and the boy showed no symptoms of intestinal obstruction, such as nausea, vomiting, or paroxysmal crying. 

The doctor noted that the child's young age and the location of the foreign object in the gastric cavity, made natural expulsion unlikely. Additionally, corrosion by gastric acid could release harmful substances, posing significant risks. Therefore, the doctor recommended surgical removal to ensure the child's safety.

However, the parents were concerned about the anesthesia required for gastrointestinal endoscopy, and hoped the object would pass naturally, fearing the risks of anesthesia. A few days later, the parents brought the child to the hospital for another visit, and an imaging report confirmed the foreign object remained in the stomach. 

The doctor reassured the parents and reiterated, the importance of an immediate gastroscopic procedure to remove the foreign object to ensure the child's safety.

Given the child's young age and delicate esophagus, the procedure required high technical skill. The medical and nursing team approached the procedure with utmost care and precision.

The surgery proceeded smoothly, and the foreign object was successfully removed in just about 10 minutes. The removed object, a coin, had turned black, suggesting that it had been in the stomach for several days.

"Thanks to the doctors' timely detection, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable," the parents repeatedly expressed gratitude to the medical team, as reported by the Yangtse Evening Post.

Experts warn that some chemically corrosive foreign objects in the digestive tract can lead to poisoning. Prompt medical attention is crucial if such objects are detected.

Global Times- Yangtse Evening Post