In danger of an accident during a meal
On August 8, a representative of Gia Dinh People's Hospital (HCMC) said that recently, this place has continuously received cases of people having dangerous accidents while eating.
The first case is Ms. P. (55 years old, living in Binh Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City). While having dinner with her family, the woman swallowed a perch bone. After trying to cough it up but failing, she went to the doctor and was found to have a foreign object.

Ms. P. is being treated at the hospital after an accident while eating (Photo: Hospital).
Thinking it was just a small piece of bone, the woman asked to go home to monitor herself. But three days later, the patient experienced sharp pain in the chest, radiating to the back, and a slight fever. Returning to the hospital, a CT scan showed that the fish bone had fallen deep into the patient's esophagus and caused an abscess.
Doctors performed an emergency endoscopy to remove the foreign object, an 18mm long bone with two prongs, from the esophagus, helping to avoid open surgery. After the endoscopy, Ms. P. was transferred to the Thoracic and Vascular Surgery Department for continued monitoring and tube feeding to limit infection.
After nearly a week of treatment, she recovered, ate and communicated normally.
Dr. Ngo Quang Duy, Deputy Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, said that this was a complicated case of foreign body aspiration because the bone was long, sharp, and located in a difficult-to-reach location. If it could not be removed by endoscopy, the patient would have to undergo open surgery, with many unpredictable and costly risks.

The foreign object is a long fish bone after being removed from the patient's body (Photo: Hospital).
The second case is Mr. Tr. (47 years old, residing in Hanh Thong ward, Ho Chi Minh City). During a meal, he choked on a chicken bone but did not realize it because he was mentally retarded.
After the man started vomiting and had a stomachache, his family took him to the hospital for a check-up and found a foreign object in his duodenum through an abdominal CT scan. Doctors performed an emergency endoscopy and successfully removed the chicken bone from the patient's digestive tract.
According to Dr. Ngo Quang Duy, about 90% of ingested foreign bodies can be eliminated naturally, but the rest can cause complications such as perforation, bleeding, abscesses, and digestive fistulas.
In many cases, endoscopy helps avoid open surgery and reduces risks. However, when the foreign object penetrates the wall or causes serious complications, surgical intervention is required.
To prevent choking on foreign objects, doctors recommend that people eat slowly, chew thoroughly, avoid talking, laughing or lying down while eating. Children should be supervised when eating, and should not be given round, small, hard foods that can easily get into the digestive tract and cause perforation.

A piece of chicken bone that a man choked on during a meal (Photo: BV).
People who have had a stroke or have swallowing disorders should eat soft, crushed foods. If you experience any unusual symptoms after a meal such as chest pain, difficulty swallowing, or nausea, you should go to a medical facility immediately for examination and timely treatment.
Girl at risk of becoming a "vegetative person" after road accident
Nearly a month ago, while riding an electric bicycle in his home country of Cambodia, S. (14 years old) had a traffic accident, fell into a deep coma and suffered serious injuries to many organs, such as a broken left collarbone, collapsed lungs, liver and kidney injuries, and especially severe traumatic brain injury.
During the first 10 days of treatment in Cambodia, he was put on a ventilator, fed through a nasogastric tube, given blood transfusions, and received intensive care. Although he survived the critical stage, hope for recovery seemed remote.
Not giving up, the family decided to travel hundreds of kilometers to bring S. to Vietnam, asking for help from doctors at a hospital in An Lac ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
At the Pediatrics Department, the team of doctors determined that this was an extremely serious case. The patient's central nervous system was severely damaged, while the liver and kidneys had not recovered, muscle strength was reduced, and reflexes were weak.
The baby almost completely lost the ability to communicate and move, completely dependent on medical care.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Hong Cam, who directly treated the girl, said that the team not only treated organ damage, but also had to activate each of the patient's vital abilities, from active breathing, swallowing reflex, alertness, to emotions and perception.
The treatment regimen was comprehensively implemented. The patient was nourished intravenously with an individualized diet, treated for pressure ulcers, controlled infections, and combined with daily physical therapy to maintain respiratory function and restart central nervous system activity.

The Cambodian girl is being closely monitored and cared for by doctors in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Hospital).
10 days after being admitted to the hospital, the baby began to react to surrounding stimuli, his eyes moved, his hands trembled slightly. That was the first sign of a positive recovery. In the following days, he was able to eat a few spoonfuls of milk, keep breathing naturally, and make a few sporadic sounds...
Notably, during that journey, many people from the patient's father's students, neighbors, and even people he had never met sent their best wishes and donated money to help the child.
The patient has now been discharged from the hospital to continue physical therapy at home, monitor neurological indicators, and practice movement and communication. The patient has escaped the risk of becoming a vegetative person thanks to the expertise and dedicated treatment of Vietnamese doctors.
Doctors recommend that during the summer, when children are on vacation from school, parents need to closely monitor their children when they go out or ride their bikes. In addition, avoid letting children climb trees, pick fruit, or go into bushes, as this can lead to accidents due to falls or animal attacks.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/nhieu-nguoi-nhap-vien-vi-tai-nan-bat-ngo-tren-ban-an-ngoai-duong-20250809003855873.htm
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