When coins resting on a floor shimmer their gloss into the centers of your eyes, you can’t help but breeze towards their soft, gentle cries. Well, Not If You Are A Child!
A 4 year old Indian girl presented to the hospital with what seemed a common presentation. Her attendant reported that she had accidentally ingested coins just one day prior to her admission. However, she could not tell about the exact number of coins making their way down the girl’s throat. On initial inspection and examination, the girl looked pretty normal without any signs of cough or respiratory distress.
Examination For The Coins
Doctors examined the patient on a Roentgenogram, anteroposterior view. It clearly showed a coin sized shadow lurking a little above the third esophageal constriction. Its increased longitudinal length and fading upper and lower edges suggested the presence of multiple coins. However, How Many still remained the popular question.
Endoscopy Unveils the Truth at Last
Following a growing curiosity, the doctors opted for an endoscopic extraction. They set up the patient on general anesthesia and took a dive into her throat. Surprisingly, they found two coins lodged at the exact same point, in the exact same manner! What are the Odds? Nevertheless, doctors removed both the coins successfully without any trauma.
Let’s Do Some Digging
Coins are among the most commonly ingested foreign bodies. The incidence for their ingestion is high among children. But they take up different positions and alignments while rolling down the throat. For them to lodge at the same point, one in front of the other is highly rare and challenging in terms of a diagnosis for multiple coin ingestion. Moreover, only an endoscopic view allows for a proper understanding of the condition and clock in a prompt treatment to avoid any complications.
