Ghaziabad: A four-year-old boy from Ghaziabad was saved after an eraser remained lodged in his airway for two days, causing severe breathing difficulties and the collapse of his left lung.On June 15, the child had accidentally swallowed a piece of eraser while playing at home. Initially, the incident went unnoticed, but he soon developed breathing difficulty, persistent coughing and respiratory distress. As his condition worsened, he was taken to a local hospital, where a CT scan revealed a foreign body lodged in the left main bronchus — one of the two primary air passages leading to the lungs — resulting in airway obstruction and collapse of the left lung.He was subsequently referred to Yashoda Medicity for specialised treatment, where doctors performed an emergency bronchoscopic intervention on June 17.According to doctors, the case was particularly challenging because of the child’s age and the narrow diameter of his airway.Director of respiratory medicine and interventional pulmonology Dr Rajesh Kumar Gupta said, “A multidisciplinary team comprising respiratory medicine, interventional pulmonology, anaesthesiology and paediatrics specialists undertook the procedure using a flexible ultrathin bronchoscope and cryoprobe. After a 90-minute intervention, the foreign object was successfully removed.”He said the process was challenging because the child’s airway measured only about 4 mm in diameter. “Maintaining adequate oxygenation while simultaneously navigating specialised instruments through such a narrow airway required meticulous planning and close coordination between the bronchoscopy and anaesthesia teams throughout the procedure,” the doctor said.The child’s breathing improved almost immediately after the foreign body was removed. The restored airflow allowed the collapsed lung to re-expand and the boy was discharged in stable condition on June 18.“Cases like these highlight how small objects such as erasers, toy parts, nuts and seeds can quickly turn into life-threatening airway emergencies in children. Any episode of sudden coughing, wheezing or breathing difficulty after playing should never be ignored. Early diagnosis and timely treatment can prevent serious complications, including lung collapse, and can save lives,” senior consultant, respiratory medicine and interventional pulmonology, Dr Ankit Bhatia, said.
