Child in M’sia undergoes emergency surgery after swallowing arcade token, doctor urges parents to be vigilant

Arcade token was lodged in oesophagus of the child, doctor says

A child in Malaysia underwent emergency surgery after accidentally swallowing an arcade token.

The incident was described over a series of posts on X by a doctor, who urged parents to remain vigilant.

Doctor called to remove ‘foreign body’ from child

Dr Mohd Shaiful Nizam, a head and neck surgeon at a hospital in Pahang state, said he was on duty last Saturday (15 March) night when he had to rush to the operating theatre.

He was called to remove a “foreign body” from a child’s oesophagus.

He initially assumed it was a swallowed coin as an X-ray showed a coin-shaped object lodged in the child’s oesophagus.

Coins are also one of the objects most commonly swallowed by young children, he noted.

Doctor surprised to find that child swallowed a token

However, during the procedure, he was puzzled to discover that the foreign object didn’t look like a coin.

The realisation that it was an arcade token took him by surprise.

This was the first time he’d encountered a case like this, he said.

Thankfully, the surgery went smoothly, he added.

Doctor urges parents to keep an eye on children.

Dr Shaiful warned parents to keep a close eye on their children, especially when they’re playing with small objects in their mouths.

One wrong move or a little carelessness, and the child could swallow the object like his patient did, he noted.

One of the biggest concerns for ENT specialists is if the swallowed foreign object enters the airway, which can lead to breathing difficulties, he said, adding:

Let’s all stay vigilant and ensure our children’s toys and play areas are safe!

Also read: Man in Taiwan ends up in hospital after getting 20cm vibrator stuck inside rectum during sex

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Featured image adapted from @Dr_Shaiful on X and X.