Two year old swallows eight needles: Urgent surgery saves boy’s life in Peru

A two year old boy in the agricultural town of Tarapoto, Peru, swallowed eight needles while playing on the farm where his mother works. Upon discovery, his mother rushed him to the hospital, where an X-ray revealed the scattered needles in his abdomen. The dangerous situation led to an immediate two-hour surgery to successfully remove all eight needles.

The boy was playing on the farm when he accidentally ingested the needles. An X-ray at the hospital revealed eight needles scattered throughout his abdomen, prompting an immediate surgery. It took two hours for surgeons to remove all the needles successfully.

Upon the boy’s arrival at the hospital, surgeons were shocked to discover eight needles scattered in his abdomen from an X-ray. Two were on the right side of the peritoneum, three on the left, one on the abdominal wall, and two between the bladder and the colon. This critical situation required immediate action, resulting in a two-hour operation to remove all eight needles, reported Sanook.

“We were in the operating room, we opened his abdomen and found those metal pieces, and realised they were real needles,” said Dr. Efren Salazar.

The boy’s mother expressed her gratitude to the medical team, acknowledging that without their timely surgical intervention, the outcome could have been far worse. The needles, used for vaccinating farm animals, are thought to have been carelessly left by farm workers. Post-surgery, the boy’s intestines remain fragile, limiting him to a liquid diet, but he is expected to be discharged from the hospital in a few days.

A recent study in the Pediatrics journal reported increased incidents of children unintentionally swallowing objects. The most common cases involve coins, toys, jewellery, and batteries. In cases where sharp objects, such as needles, are swallowed, they can cause damage to the digestive system or become lodged in internal organs, posing serious risks.