Intrapulmonary migration of a fractured acupuncture needle: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medical treatment, has been gaining popularity over the years. However, it also presents certain risks. We report a case of a patient who discovered a foreign body in their lung several years after undergoing acupuncture. CASE PRESENTATION: A middle-aged woman presented to our hospital with chest pain. An X-ray revealed a needle-like foreign body in the middle lobe of her right lung. The patient had previously undergone acupuncture treatment for local pain in her lower back and lower extremities many years prior. Based on the imaging findings and her medical history, we hypothesized that the foreign body in her lung was a result of a dislodged acupuncture needle. Through preoperative 3-dimensional reconstruction and indocyanine green localization, we were able to locate the foreign body in the lateral segment of the right middle lobe. We successfully removed the foreign body via wedge resection, and the patient made a smooth recovery post-surgery. CONCLUSION: Acupuncturists and surgeons should remain vigilant about the potential risks associated with acupuncture.

Effect of Delayed Endoscopy Protocol on Timing and Safety of Endoscopy for Foreign Body Ingestion and Esophageal Food Impaction.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic procedures for foreign body ingestion (FBI) and esophageal food impactions (EFI) performed during on-call hours are associated with increased stress, risk, and cost. We implemented a Foreign Body Algorithm (FBA) designed to delay all but the most urgent endoscopy for EFI and FBI until regular working hours. METHODS: Using endoscopy records from multiple academic and community hospitals within a large integrated health system in the United states, we identified esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) performed for food impactions and foreign body ingestions occurring between May 2011 and February 2021. RESULTS: We identified 479 EGDs performed for FBI and EFI. The introduction of the FBA was associated with a shorter length of stay (LOS) for overall cases (0.35 vs. 0.8 d P <0.001), day cases (0.16 vs. 1.0 d P <0.001), and night cases (0.40 vs. 0.6 d P =0.03). The introduction of the FBA did not change the rate of overall adverse events (AE) or night AE. AE from the entire cohort was rare (3%; 16 total). Of the AE, most were sedation related. The introduction of the FBA did not affect the overall rate of night cases or AE, but the rate of after-hours endoscopy for intentional ingestions decreased from 17.2% to 3.1% ( P =0.01). CONCLUSION: This is one of the largest studies of esophageal impactions and foreign bodies in adults in the United States, and the first to examine the effects of a protocol designed to avoid after-hours endoscopy. These results suggest that postponing after-hours EGD until the daytime is not associated with adverse safety outcomes or increased LOS.

Rigid versus flexible endoscopy for managing ingested foreign bodies-can we improve pathways?

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate management pathways, outcomes and safety of rigid endoscopy (RE) and flexible endoscopy (FE) for the treatment of impacted foreign bodies of the upper gastrointestinal tract (UGIT) in adults. METHODS: Retrospective study, included all patients undergoing RE or FE for impacted UGIT foreign body over an 11-year-period. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients were included (95 FE and 49 RE). FE were performed under local anaesthetic or sedation, and RE under GA. Success rate of FE and RE were 95.8% and 95.9% respectively. During FE an intra-procedural biopsy was performed in 45/95 (47.3%); with 26/95(27.4%) identifying mucosal pathology. Complications was significantly higher in patients having RE (40.8% versus 6.3%, p = .001). CONCLUSION: FE and RE are effective for the therapeutic management of impacted UGIT foreign bodies. However, FE can be performed under LA and was associated with fewer complications, favouring FE where possible as a first line option.

The Utility of the Maxillary Heuwieser for Oropharyngeal Foreign Body Removal Under Nebulized Local Anesthesia: A Case Series.

We describe a novel and safe use of existing instrumentation in the removal of select foreign bodies in the upper aerodigestive tract to minimize health-care costs. A retrospective review of 4 cases involving visualized upper aerodigestive tract foreign bodies were identified via flexible laryngoscopy and extracted under local anesthesia from 2016 to 2018. All 4 patients were not in any airway distress and underwent successful removal of the foreign body, which included 2 fishbones, a sewing pin, and a wire bristle with a maxillary Heuwieser or giraffe instrument under flexible laryngoscopy visualizing using local anesthesia without complications. No foreign bodies were dislodged. The use of a maxillary Heuwieser and flexible laryngoscopy visualization is safe, allows for removal of otherwise difficult to reach foreign bodies at the bedside, improving patient comfort, obviates the need for general anesthesia to the patient, and minimizes health-care costs.

Abdominal skin inflammation as an initial symptom of a perforating gastric foreign body: A case report.

RATIONALE: Foreign bodies are frequently ingested, but only approximately 1% of them cause perforation. Perforations in the lesser curvature of the stomach are exceedingly rare. Here, we report a case of gastric perforation in the lesser curvature caused by a foreign body. The patient presented to the clinic complaining of abdominal skin swelling and reddening with upper abdominal discomfort as the initial symptoms. PATIENT CONCERNS: An 83-year-old female presented with a mass in the middle of the epigastrium for 10 days. Physical examination found an apparent local tenderness and inflammatory mass in the upper abdominal wall. Her body temperature was normal (37.5°C) and the white blood cell count was elevated (8.12 × 10/L [reference value 3.5-9.5 × 10/L]). DIAGNOSES: The ultrasound examination of the abdomen revealed a 4 cm strip-like hyperechoic object entangled in the muscles of the abdominal wall. The computed tomography scan revealed a thin strip of bone-like hyperdense shadow. Intraoperative findings showed a sharp fishbone protruding from the lesser curvature of the stomach into the abdominal cavity, part of which remained in the gastric cavity. The postoperative pathological report revealed chronic suppurative inflammation with abscess and sinus canal formation. INTERVENTIONS & OUTCOMES: The patient underwent a gastric foreign body removal with partial gastrectomy. Anti-inflammatory treatment post-surgery rapidly relieved the patient's symptoms of discomfort in the upper abdomen. At the 1-month follow-up, the patient showed no discomfort in the upper abdomen and the inflammatory mass was no longer present. LESSONS: A foreign body had penetrated through the lesser curvature of the stomach, an area with a flat gastric wall, which occurs infrequently. In such cases, computed tomography is the gold standard for diagnosis of foreign bodies in the digestive tract. Ultrasound can also be used as a supplemental diagnostic technique. It is recommended that people who wear dentures should exercise caution while eating, especially when the food contains bones.

Lead Toxicity From Intradiscal Retained Bullet Fragment: Management Considerations and Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Lead toxicity (plumbism) secondary to retained lead missiles in synovial joint spaces is a rare complication after gunshot injuries. Management of lead missiles in the intradiscal space regarding potential lead toxicity is less certain. CASE DESCRIPTION: We reviewed the literature regarding lead toxicity secondary to intradiscal bullets particularly concerning incidence, management, and outcomes. A lack of high-quality published data precludes a meta-analysis from taking place. Only four reports of lead toxicity secondary to missiles in the intradiscal space have been published. Including an additional case presented in this report, our review of the literature has led us to make several management recommendations, largely based on both the available literature and our current report. CONCLUSIONS: First, there is insufficient evidence for removing retained lead missiles solely to mitigate the risk of lead toxicity. Second, chelation therapy in addition to surgical removal of the lead source is a valuable adjunct in the perioperative period and should be undertaken with the assistance of medical toxicology. Third, a retained missile does not mandate a simultaneous stabilization procedure in lieu of other indications based on the data available at this time.

Successful combination of endoscopic and laparoscopic removal of multiple ingested needles: A case report.

RATIONALE: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a relatively common clinical situation in the emergency department. However, multiple sharply pointed foreign bodies located in different organs are rare conditions and no definite treatment guidelines has been established. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 31-year-old amateur magician visited the outpatient clinic with a chief complaint of epigastric discomfort. He might have accidentally swallowed some needles while practicing a magic trick 2 days before. DIAGNOSIS: Imaging tests revealed 1 needle was stuck in the left liver lobe through the stomach wall, 1 was in the third portion of the duodenum, 3 were in the ascending colon, and 2 were in the transverse colon. INTERVENTIONS: A needle in the duodenum and 5 in the colon were removed by endoscopy. The needle stuck in the liver from the stomach was not visible inside the stomach and was successfully removed by laparoscopy a few days later. OUTCOMES: The patient was able to tolerate an oral diet and was discharged on postoperative day 4 without any complications. LESSONS: Developing a treatment plan in cases of multiple sharp FB may be difficult. A multidisciplinary team of endoscopists and surgeons is needed to determine the best possible treatment plan. This experience illustrates the importance of the planning of the sequence and method of removal of multiple foreign bodies from the gastrointestinal tract.

Removal of a broken acupuncture needle in retroperitoneum by laparoscopy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is a famous traditional medicine in China, but the complications caused by broken acupuncture needles have been rarely reported. It seems easy to remove the foreign matters usually, but things become difficulty in special issues. Here, we reported a recently encountered case to provide an important teaching point of treating a chronically retained broken needle in retroperitoneum. CASE PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old man presented with a chronically retained broken needle in his body after acupuncture therapy two years ago. However, due to the discomfort at the left back recently and ordinary inconvenience such as security check, he came to our hospital for minimally invasive surgery. He was introduced to our department because the broken needle had migrated from subcutaneous to adipose tissue in retroperitoneum during the two years. Considering the position of the broken needle, the patient was performed by laparoscopy in general anesthesia. The operation time was about 31 min and there were only three 7 mm incisions in the left lateral abdominal wall. The X-ray exam was performed to confirm that the broken needle was removed integrally. The patients begun normal activity at 6 h after surgery and was discharged on the second day after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture is widely used for pain treatment in China, but how to handle the complication of acupuncture needle broken in body are rarely reported. Laparoscopy will be the reasonable choice for treating needles broken in retroperitoneum.

Ingestion of Bell Clappers by a Shaman in Jumla, Nepal: A Case Report.

Accidental foreign body ingestion is a common problem encountered in Emergency. Deliberate foreign body ingestion may result due to an act of insanity or an act of daring. A shaman locally known as Dhami was brought to Emergency with the history of ingestion of bell clappers. He denied the history of psychiatric illness or substance abuse. On physical examination, there were signs of peritonitis. Laparotomy was done to remove the foreign bodies. Post-operative period was uneventful. Apart from the surgical intervention, psychological counselling was given to him. This is a rare interesting case due to the fact that the 15 cm long foreign bodies passing all the way through without significant injury and finally causing obstruction in ileocecal junction and perforation in the distal ileum. Keywords: foreign bodies; Nepal; shaman.

Acupuncture gone awry: a case report of a patient who required surgical removal of two single-use filament needles following acupuncture treatment.

Background: Acupuncture and dry needling are increasingly popular treatment modalities used to treat pain around the world. This case report documents the clinical history of a patient who presented to an outpatient physical therapy clinic following surgical removal of two single-use filament needles that fractured in the patient's neck during acupuncture treatment. Case Description: The purpose of this case report was to highlight a rare adverse event following acupuncture treatment. The patient received the acupuncture treatment from a practitioner licensed in acupuncture, while on an international business trip. Following the acupuncture treatment, the practitioner realized that a needle had fractured and remained in the patient's neck. After failing to retrieve the needle, the patient was sent for imaging. Radiograph revealed that the patient had two needle fragments located in his cervical tissue. After determining that the needles did not pose an immediate threat, the patient boarded a flight home to the United States. Following his flight, the patient presented to an American hospital where it was discovered that the needle fragments had migrated during the flight, with one needle now located 2 mm from the patient's vertebral artery. Surgical intervention was required to retrieve the needles, resulting in the patient needing physical therapy to increase cervical range of motion and mediate pain relief. Outcomes: The patient suffered a setback in his treatment of chronic neck pain that resulted in decreased cervical range of motion and increased pain. Discussion: Clinicians utilizing single-use filiform needles in their practice, whether for acupuncture or dry needling, should be aware of the potential for this type of adverse event. Further, to minimize the risk of similar adverse events occurring in the future, clinicians should make sure that they are using high quality needles and make a habit of counting in and counting out the needles that they use to verify that all needles are accounted for.

Sweet Potato Was Not So Sweet: Undetected Foreign-body Aspiration in a Healthy Child Leading to Acute Bronchial Asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Sweet potato may contain furanoterpenoids, including ipomeamarone, which cause lung edema. CASE PRESENTATION: A 10-year-old schoolgirl was hospitalized with asthma exacerbation and acute pneumonia. Chest radiographs showed a diffuse opacity of the left lung and hyperpermeability of the right lung. Computed tomography indicated foreign-body aspiration. Flexible bronchoscopy revealed an inhaled piece of sweet potato obstructing the left main bronchus. Although the patient's dyspnea worsened after removal of the sweet potato, she recovered with the treatment based on the 2014 Japanese Childhood Asthma Guidelines. CONCLUSION: Cases of sweet potato aspiration need careful treatment after removal of the foreign body.

Complications After Endoscopic Stenting for Malignant Gastric Outlet Obstruction: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Gastric stenting has become a common place in clinical practice. The aim of our study was to evaluate the factors influencing the clinical outcome in patients who received endoscopic stenting for malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the clinical course of 87 patients who presented to our attention with malignant GOO. RESULTS: There was neither mortality nor major morbidity after endoscopic stenting. Survival was reduced (average, 2 mo) in patients with an obstruction due to no resectable pancreatic cancer. In patients with primary no resectable pyloric adenocarcinoma, the crude survival was >1 year. Almost half of the patients required a new endoscopy. Food obstruction was common after 6 months from stent placement, limiting the quality of life of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic stenting represents a valid treatment in patients with symptoms of GOO from metastatic cancer. Patients with metastatic pyloric adenocarcinoma and normal liver function tests have survival rates longer than 1 year. In this selected group of patients, laparoscopic surgical gastrojejunostomy can be a valid alternative to avoid a close and exhausting follow-up, with the possibility of a better quality of life (res Registry 808).

[Penile strangulation: about two patients living in rural areas]. / Strangulation du pénis: à propos de deux cas en milieu rural.

Penile strangulation is a clinical condition requiring emergency management. Several metallic or non-metallic objects can be placed around the penis to improve sexual performance or for auto-erotic purposes. We report the case of two schizophrenic patients aged 25 and 33years hospitalized in the Emergency Department due to penile strangulation by metal ring. The ring was placed at the level of the glans foreskin groove 3 days before in one case and at the level of the root of penis 2 days before in the other. There was no urinary disorder in both patients. Ring ablation was performed with taxis under local anesthesia in one case and under sedation followed by double ring section using an electric saw in the other case.

Entrapment of a laryngotracheal topical anesthesia kit during tracheobronchial foreign body removal: a case report.

BACKGROUND: In order to reduce the irritation of the airway during tracheobronchial foreign body (TFB) removal, tracheal surface anesthesia is usually performed using a laryngotracheal topical anesthesia (LTA) kit (LTA20, Highgreen Medical Technology Company, China), but difficulty in withdrawing the LTA kit is rarely reported. We present a case of a difficulty to withdraw the LTA kit due to its entrapment by the movement of a TFB. CASE PRESENTATION: A 1-year-old girl was undergoing TFB removal. After the surgeon completed the tracheal surface anesthesia, the girl suddenly suffered from bucking, leading to the dislodgment of the TFB to the subglottic region, complicating the withdrawal of the LTA applicator. At the same time, the girl's oxygen saturation (SpO2) decreased to 91% and her heart rate dropped from 150 to 100 bpm. Atropine and succinylcholine were administered intravenously immediately, then the surgeon tried to free the TFB by pushing it back into the trachea, after which the LTA applicator was easily withdrawn, and TFB was removed successfully. The girl was discharged from hospital without any complications 2 days later. CONCLUSION: This case report draws our attention to a significant anesthetic clinical consideration during the application of topical anesthesia on the trachea for TFB removal. The possibility of coughing or bucking can lead to migration of the TFB with subsequent airway obstruction, so the depth of anesthesia must be sufficient to prevent harmful reflexes. Also, strong teamwork and good communication are paramount to avoid serious complications.

Quadriparesis Caused by Lead Poisoning Nine Years After a Gunshot Wound With Retained Bullet Fragments: A Case Report.

Lead toxicity in adults is characterized by nonspecific symptoms of abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, fatigue, and weight loss. We present a case of severe lead toxicity that developed subacutely, causing quadriparesis 9 years after a gunshot wound with retained bullet fragments. The onset of symptoms may have been related to the development of a pseudocyst. The long interval between the gunshot wound and the onset of symptoms contributed to a delay in suspecting that the retained bullet was a source of lead toxicity. The patient's symptoms gradually improved after chelation therapy, removal of the bullet fragment, and an extended program of acute inpatient rehabilitation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V.