What happens if you swallow it. Oral sex: is there a danger for a girl? What to do after swallowing a needle

Some people are just bursting with questions like, “What if?” What happens if you swallow a needle is not on the list of the most frequently asked questions, but it’s better to know the answer. In an emergency, there will be no time to search for information; the victim will immediately be given first aid, and only then will they try to find out how to do it correctly.

What to do if you swallow a needle?

It is necessary to decide what we will do in the first seconds after we discover that the needle has gone down the esophagus.

It's even more important to know what you should never do:

  1. The needle has only one sharp end and it will move only in its direction, under the influence of gravity. To make it more difficult for the piece of metal inside you, just change your body position, lie down on the nearest sofa or bed.
  2. Do not do this abruptly and hastily; in general, you will have to give up too energetic movements. Any concussion can “push” the needle to search for a new path in the insides; this will not end well.
  3. The situation described may not greatly contribute to calm, but you will have to maintain composure until the ambulance arrives. You need to call her immediately, warning her about your problem.
  4. All that remains is to wait for the brigade, answer a few questions and agree to hospitalization.

Actions in a hospital setting if a needle is swallowed

All further manipulations will be performed by medical professionals, you remain in the role of an observer, very much interested in a positive outcome:

  • You will be taken to the nearest gastroenterology department.
  • They will also issue a referral for an X-ray examination, which will be carried out using a contrast agent.
  • There is nothing terrible about introducing contrast into the body and receiving a light dose of radiation; you now have another pressing problem.
  • If you managed to contact on time and the needle is still in the stomach, consider yourself a lucky person.
  • They will extract it using FGS ( fibrogastroscopy). You will have to be patient during probing.
  • Suspicious people and those who simply take a long time to decide to call the emergency room usually have less luck; the needle is evacuated into the intestines. It is still possible to remove it, but with the help of surgery.

The intestines are not a haystack, but the search may take a long time. In such conditions, there is usually no question of cosmetic or pinpoint scars; sometimes the incision goes through the entire abdomen.

If a child swallows a needle.

Here you worry about the adult, let alone the child. But they swallow nails, needles, pen caps and other small things with enviable regularity. This is due to the fact that In a baby up to a certain age, the food reflex is dominant. Everything new must be tasted and a final verdict must be made - edible or not.

And the next check may result in a visit to the hospital, this is in the best case. Everyone has heard that a baby who has swallowed a small object must be placed on his stomach, slightly tilted with his head down and tapped on the back. They also advise you to grab it in the lower back and press on the stomach so that, under pressure, the foreign object flies out of the respiratory tract. If an object gets into the stomach, the most logical thing would be to induce vomiting, as they do in case of any poisoning.

But this logic wrong, because it does not take into account one small nuance in the form of the sharp pole of the needle. Passing through the tissues, it will violate their integrity; a piece of metal will rush to new organs. But the puncture will not go away; you should not forget about inflammation and bleeding.

The method of action is almost no different from that of an adult, the main thing is calm and immobilize the child . Any sudden changes in body position will not benefit the baby's health.

Esophagus or trachea?

It turns out that the needle can get into either the stomach or the lungs.

Stomach

Lungs

It can pass along the entire tract without violating the integrity of the walls and exit naturally.

There can be no talk of any natural way out. You won't be able to cough up the needle.

In case of intestinal perforation, it will leak into the abdominal cavity and can damage internal organs and numerous blood vessels.

It usually remains in the lower lobe, where it causes inflammation due to damage to the walls and infection from the outside.

Removal without surgery is possible.

Most often, a lobe of the lung is removed. Bronchosonation and bronchoscopy are possible.

For obvious reasons it is preferable to pass the needle through the esophagus. But why undergo surgery if there is a possibility of solving the problem naturally. Perhaps you have seen the structure of the intestines in pictures and imagine all these loops that go at an angle to one another. The likelihood that, under the influence of gravity, a pointed piece of metal will perfectly go through all these bends and turns is not so high.

What's wrong with a sharp object penetrating the abdominal cavity? Nothing like that, if you forget about the abdominal aorta and all other vessels and organs.

This video shows a case of a man accidentally swallowing a sewing needle and what he had to endure:

Is there a risk to the heart?

Since childhood, everyone has been frightened by the fact that once it enters the body, the needle will definitely reach the heart and kill. This again seems logical, because all the blood in the body flows through the heart, which means that the needle through the vessels can get into the heart and stop its work once and for all.

There is only one question brewing here - how will a few centimeters of metal get into this very vessel?? We didn’t inject them into a vein, but swallowed them, what does the circulatory system have to do with it?

In fact:

  1. The vessels actually provide blood supply to all organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
  2. They are found both in the wall of the stomach and in the walls of the intestines.
  3. In some areas the network is especially dense.
  4. When approaching the vessel, the needle will pierce it rather than enter the cavity.
  5. You have to be very unlucky with the angle of entry.

This does not mean that the threat can be written off. The probability approaches zero, but is not zero. Sometimes the needle is actually found already in the vascular bed, and then every minute is important before the operation.

Most often the matter is limited internal bleeding from an open vessel, the amount of blood loss depends on the pressure and volume of blood in it.

Swallowed a needle: can I avoid surgery?

Most often, they try to avoid surgery to remove the needle from the intestines, especially when it comes to children. Enveloping agents are used, most effectively rich oatmeal. If previously swallow a few cotton balls soaked in Vaseline oil, the chances of a successful outcome increase.

A needle wandering around the body is a myth; most often it gets stuck in muscle tissue and remains there for many years. Inflammation of the tissues and corrosion of the metal force an extraction operation to be performed, and the needle itself will constantly move under the force of gravity towards the sharp end. And it is still unknown which vessel or nerve this movement will lead it to.

What happens if you swallow a needle depends on your luck and the speed of going to the emergency room. But emotional experiences for the next 24 hours are guaranteed.

Video about swallowing a needle

Anyone can swallow a foreign body. Objects may be inhaled, swallowed, become lodged in the throat or stomach, or become embedded in soft tissue. Young children are at risk because they are characterized by increased curiosity. In many cases, the digestive tract processes the ingested item and it is naturally passed out of the body. In other cases, it may get stuck or cause injury along the way. If this happens, you need to see a doctor for treatment. Depending on the circumstances, surgery may be required.

Who is at risk of swallowing a foreign object

Toddlers and infants often explore and explore objects by placing them in their mouths. The majority of those who swallow a foreign body are children under 3 years of age.

Children often swallow small objects out of curiosity.

The likelihood that a child will swallow something potentially dangerous increases when adults have little or no supervision. The risk also increases when the following items are within reach:


Anything that fits inside a baby's mouth can end up in the digestive tract if no one is watching closely.

It is always necessary to carefully ensure that small objects are not in the baby’s field of vision - in the place where he usually plays. Moreover, you need to store such things out of the reach of a child.

Older children and adults can swallow objects to attract attention, also due to an absurd accident, including during play, due to an unstable mental state, etc. In the case of adults, foreign bodies are usually ingested accidentally along with food. For example, a number of health problems cause chewed pieces to get stuck in the esophagus, which often occurs in people with certain pathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract:

  • stenosis, or narrowing of the esophagus (about 37%);
  • malignant formation (about 10%);
  • insufficiency of the lower esophageal sphincter (about 6%);
  • achalasia - a violation of the ability to relax the sphincters (about 2% of cases).

The foreign bodies most commonly ingested by adults are fish and chicken bones. The clinical approach to the problem depends on the type of foreign body and the symptoms.

In approximately 80% of cases, the ingested object passes through the gastrointestinal tract without complications. Endoscopic examination is performed in approximately 20%, and surgery in less than 1% of cases.

Classification of foreign bodies

Before analyzing the algorithm for dealing with the accidental ingestion of a foreign object, it is reasonable to classify foreign bodies by material, size, shape and chemical composition, since these characteristics help determine the urgency of any intervention. Passage through the duodenum depends on the diameter as well as the size of the penetrating foreign body. Foreign objects with a length of more than 6 cm and a diameter of more than 2.5 cm impede the movement of contents through the duodenum.

Small objects can pass through the entire digestive tract without causing damage

In order to determine how dangerous a swallowed object is, you need to know the following parameters:

  1. Size:
    • length more/less than 6 cm.
  2. Surface Shape:
    • sharp/pointed-blunt;
    • rounded / with sharp or torn edges;
    • rounded/with smooth blunt edges.
  3. Material/contents, for example:
    • food related;
    • medicines;
    • batteries;
    • magnets;
    • plastic and rubber items (buttons and beads, cellophane, a piece of plastic).
  4. Characteristics:
    • radioactivity - yes/no;
    • metal - yes / no;
    • chemically inert - yes/no.

First of all, it should be noted that if a foreign object has at least one dangerous characteristic, it poses a threat. The risk increases several times if the object has several such characteristics (for example, at the same time: sharp, large, metal). And also the same item can be harmless for an adult, but pose a risk to the health of a child. For example, a plum pit is not dangerous if swallowed by an adult (less than 6 cm in length), but poses a threat to a baby (when it is more than 2 cm in length and has a sharp edge). Often, food-related objects can be harmless, if they are small, the gastrointestinal tract can process them along with the food bolus; but when the size is quite large, and the object itself is sharp, it can get stuck, injure or block any organ of the digestive tract.

Dangerous and non-hazardous foreign bodies - table

Characteristics of foreign bodies (objects) Dangerous Non-hazardous (relatively)
Size
  • more than 6 cm in diameter or length (for an adult): dental braces, large dentures;
  • more than 2 cm in diameter or length (for a child): a large coin, a part from a toy.
  • less than 6 cm in diameter or length (for an adult): tooth, crown;
  • less than 2 cm in diameter or length (for a child): bead, cherry pit.
Surface shape and consistency
  • sharp / pointed-blunt: glass, paper clip, stapler, needle, nail, toothpick, dental crown with pin;
  • rounded with sharp or torn edges: a piece of plastic with a sharp, uneven edge, a part from a toy, a large part of an eggshell (can injure the esophagus).
Round with smooth and blunt edges: a coin, a tooth or its fragment, a filling.
Material
  • food related: fish and chicken bones, peach pits, plums;
  • plastic and rubber: cellophane (can stick, get stuck, get into the respiratory tract), any object exceeding 2 cm in length - for children, 6 cm - for adults.
  • food-related: cherry, watermelon, cherry plum seeds, bay leaves, chewing gum, eggshells (small piece);
  • plastic and rubber: small buttons, beads, ear pads, small piece of plastic.
Other characteristics
  • radioactive: button batteries and accumulators;
  • chemically active: household chemicals, gasoline;
  • metal and magnetized: magnet, battery, foil, metal/iron ball.
  • metal: shavings (as a rule, they are enveloped in mucus in the stomach and successfully leave the gastrointestinal tract);
  • chemically inert: cotton pad, midge.

The danger of the items indicated in the table is relative. Even if the swallowed object passed through the esophagus smoothly, without causing immediate discomfort or pain, it is imperative to monitor your well-being until the foreign body leaves the body naturally (you need to make sure of this).

How to understand that a foreign body has been swallowed

Symptoms of a swallowed foreign object are usually difficult to miss.

You will immediately notice if an object is blocking your airway. The most common signs are:


If the child or adult swallows the item easily and does not get it into the throat, there will be no immediate symptoms. The object is already in the digestive tract. It will pass naturally, or symptoms will appear later if the body fails to eliminate the object.

In general, about 60% of foreign bodies become trapped at the oropharyngeal level (at the level of the oropharynx). In this case, a person clearly feels a certain object in his throat as if in a relatively clearly localized trap. Small, narrow and long objects, such as bones and toothpicks, often get stuck at this level, between the tonsils, back of the tongue and esophagus. Symptoms include:

  • discomfort from mild to quite severe;
  • drooling and inability to swallow.

If the stuck object is not removed in a timely manner, then a delayed manifestation of infection or tissue perforation (breakthrough) is possible.

Possible symptoms that occur when an object gets stuck in the esophagus:

If an object is stuck below the level of the esophagus, the symptoms will be somewhat different and not always clearly distinguishable:

  • bloating and discomfort;
  • fever;
  • periodic vomiting;
  • rectal bleeding;
  • tarry stools or other symptoms of acute or subacute intestinal obstruction.

Sometimes even a piece of bone in food can lead to perforation of the esophagus and even damage to the heart sac and muscle. Signs and symptoms of perforation of the walls of the gastrointestinal tract are very severe and serious complications that require immediate medical intervention:


An element stuck in the body for a long time without treatment can cause an infection, such as recurrent aspiration pneumonia - inflammation caused by the entry of foreign particles in a solid or liquid state into the bronchi and alveoli. This can lead to chest pain, coughing with phlegm, and wheezing. Sometimes these symptoms are accompanied by a high fever.

Extraction algorithm

It is important to consult a doctor if you swallow a foreign object, even if you think it may pass naturally. The doctor will do an x-ray to look for foreign bodies or a bronchoscopy to take a closer look at the airway. The latter is a procedure in which a specialist uses a thin tube with a camera.

Evaluation and treatment will depend on the type of foreign body. To search and remove a foreign object, the following types of medical examination are used:

Doctors also consider other symptoms when making a diagnosis. If there are no acute manifestations and the person has time, it is advisable to write a list of signs indicating that a foreign object has been swallowed. Such a list will further help the doctor assess the danger of the situation.

First aid

If a person can barely breathe due to a foreign body, emergency treatment is usually required. A foreign object can be removed from the respiratory tract using the Heimlich maneuver.

Quick Facts:

  • Choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death;
  • performing the Heimlich maneuver can help save a person from suffocation;
  • actions during the Heimlich maneuver differ for a conscious and unconscious person, for pregnant women and infants;
  • the reception can be performed independently.

The Heimlich maneuver, or subphrenic-abdominal thrust, lifts the diaphragm, pushing air out of the lungs. This leads to the expulsion of the foreign object from the respiratory tract.

Regardless of who the technique was used on, that person should be examined by physicians at a later date. This ensures that there is no physical damage to the throat or airways.

First, it is necessary to determine whether the victim needs outside help to perform the Heimlich maneuver. If a person who appears to be choking is conscious and coughing, they may be able to remove the object themselves. Coughing is the most effective way to remove a foreign body. Outside assistance is required if the victim:

  • does not cough;
  • unable to speak or breathe;
  • signals for help, usually by holding his hands to his throat.

First of all, if a bystander is present, you need to ask him to urgently call an ambulance. If there is only one person near the victim, then he immediately proceeds to the following steps:

The steps should be repeated until the item is removed and the person can breathe or cough on their own. Alternatively, if the person is unable to stand, you should grab them around the waist, facing the head. Push your fist inward and upward in the same way as if the victim were standing.

Help for a pregnant woman

For a pregnant woman, the hand should be placed slightly higher on the torso, around the base of her sternum. If the woman is unconscious, try to clear the airway by pressing the palm of your hand to the middle of the back and moving upwards.

Using the technique on an infant

If the affected child is under 1 year of age, other steps must be followed:

Repeat these manipulations until the object is removed and the child can breathe or cough on his own.

Applying the method on yourself

If a person is choking and there is no one nearby, he needs to do the following on his own:

  1. Place your fist just above your navel, with your thumb facing you;
  2. Clasp your fist with the palm of your other hand and simultaneously insert it inward and upward. Perform five such abdominal thrusts.

Repeat the movements until the foreign body is removed and breathing and cough are restored. You can also place your upper abdomen on a hard edge of an object, such as the corner of a table, counter, or the back of a chair.

Heimlich maneuver - video

When urgent medical attention is required

Immediate medical attention is required if a person swallows:


The above items should be removed immediately with the help of medical personnel on an outpatient basis. The doctor will determine how urgently it is necessary to remove the object, choosing the optimal solution for this, taking into account possible complications.

Home care

If the person is not choking on the foreign body and appears to have swallowed it completely, the doctor may decide to wait and see if the object passes through normally. The victim will need to monitor for symptoms such as vomiting, fever, or signs of pain. The stool should be constantly checked to ensure that the object has left the body.

Most foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract without complications, and endoscopic or surgical intervention is required in only 10 to 20 percent of cases.

Surgery

If a foreign object causes pain or damage to the intestine or esophagus, the problem requires emergency surgery or endoscopy to remove the object without puncturing the intestine or esophagus.

Endoscopy is a gentle surgical method

Endoscopy uses a small tube with a camera and tiny surgical instruments. The doctor inserts it into the mouth and guides it down the esophagus to remove the foreign object.

What not to do

There are several common mistakes people make about themselves or a child who has swallowed a foreign body. This situation in itself is already stressful for the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, any non-indicated manipulations at home are prohibited. Such techniques include:


Possible consequences and complications

Most patients who ingest a foreign body will not have any significant complications. But sometimes they are possible. And more likely 12 hours after ingestion of foreign objects, including sharp objects.

Children who swallow button batteries are at high risk of esophageal death. If such a scenario is suspected, parents should seek help immediately.

Perforation of the esophagus leads to purulent inflammation of the mediastinum

Clear, small, lightweight objects such as bottle caps and beer can rings often end up in the esophagus and do not show up on X-rays. The longer they stay there, the higher the likelihood of injury and infection, as well as other complications. Such objects should be looked for using computed tomography or endoscopy.

Complications can be represented by inflammation of any part of the gastrointestinal tract, depending on the location of the swallowed object. Appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix of the cecum) is common.

Sometimes a swallowed needle can enter the bloodstream, end up near the lung or heart and make a hole in it. In this situation, only urgent surgical intervention can save a person from death.

Perforation of the internal walls of any organ of the gastrointestinal tract is also a serious complication, since this leads to rapid intoxication of the body and sepsis, with a high probability of death if medical assistance is not provided in time.

A strip of air under the diaphragm is a sign of perforation of a hollow organ

It is always easier to prevent this problem by keeping small items out of the reach of babies and toddlers. Adults and teens should avoid putting small things in their mouths - especially those that can slide down the throat and block the airway. It should be remembered that no one is immune from accidentally swallowing a foreign object.

People of all ages can swallow foreign objects. In most cases, the digestive system will process the foreign body naturally and the body will eliminate it within seven days without any damage. However, an object that does not leave the body can cause organ damage or inflammation over time. Even if nothing worries you after accidentally swallowing something unusual, you should definitely make an appointment with a doctor to make sure your body is safe.

Before discussing anything, remember: if someone swallows a needle, go to the hospital immediately for an x-ray! And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a child, an adult or a pet. There is an opportunity - hurry to the doctor, do not leave it to chance, because the consequences of delay can be terrible. And only if doctors are out of your reach, and you will have to wait too long for help, should you consider some other options. What to do if you swallow a needle and the hospital is far away

In such a situation, it is necessary to reduce physical activity to a minimum so as not to provoke a fatal “injection”. Sudden movements and bending are also contraindicated. Ordinary emergency care, used when something unwanted enters the body, is not suitable in the case of a needle. This means that the victim: cannot be induced to vomit; Do not knock on the chest; and even more so, you should not press sharply on the stomach, in the hope that the needle will pop out on its own. In addition, if a child swallows a needle, there is no need to turn him over and shake him.

What can happen if you swallow a needle? It is impossible to predict the final outcome of needle swallowing with 100% certainty. But there are several scenarios according to which events usually develop. In the most dangerous case, a swallowed needle will enter the lung or heart and make a hole there, which without surgical intervention will lead to death.

Of course, death will not come instantly (although in some cases everything happens extremely quickly - within a few hours), but the inflammation provoked by the needle will ultimately lead to either the loss of part of the lung (with a delayed operation) or death (if without doctors). The location of the needle inside the body is detected using x-rays. And if the lung or heart is damaged, then immediate surgical intervention is needed. If the needle reaches the stomach, then the probability of a successful natural outcome (literally) is 80%. That is, the needle will most likely come out in the feces. True, the remaining 20% ​​are forced in most cases to undergo surgery to remove excess metal from the body. How to remove a swallowed needle from the body - a folk method

So, the recipe is close to the one that was used in ancient times: take 1-2 grams of cotton wool, soak it in Vaseline oil (not Vaseline!) and swallow, after a while eat a plate or two of oatmeal or semolina. If there is no petroleum jelly, then it is better to exclude cotton wool from the “treatment” altogether - the enveloping effect of the porridge should be enough. If the course of the “disease” is favorable, the needle comes out within 2 hours to 3 days. Therefore, either try to get to the doctor during this time, or be patient.

What to do if a dog or cat swallows a needle Pets require the same things as people. That is, you need a veterinarian and an x-ray, and then either an operation or enveloping porridge and Vaseline oil. You should not give a laxative, as its action can cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract. By the way, if it seems to you that a cat or dog has swallowed a needle, this does not mean that it is so. Often the needle gets stuck in the roof of the mouth or throat. True, this does not affect the assistance scheme in any way. Now you know what happens if you swallow a needle. Try to do everything right.

For reference: children swallow needles 3-4 times more often than adults, and in animals such a nuisance is almost the norm.

Every person from childhood remembers the horror story that a swallowed needle passes through the veins into the heart, causing sudden death. But is it? Let's try to figure out how life-threatening this event is.

In fact, the danger directly depends on your further actions and timely medical care. There are cases when a swallowed needle was safely excreted from the body along with the feces. And there are also fatal consequences.

Where does mortal danger lie?

No matter how funny it sounds, there are a lot of situations in which you can swallow a needle. Imagine that while sewing, you put a needle in your mouth to straighten a seam and suddenly sneezed, hiccupped, yawned, or did other reflex actions. In some cases, the needle, under the influence of air, will immediately end up in your trachea. Therefore, the largest number of recorded cases of needles entering the body relates specifically to seamstresses.

Children also often swallow sharp objects, especially under the age of three, when everything interesting is tasted. It is not difficult for children to find a needle on the floor, because while sewing they can drop the contents of the needle case and not even notice the absence of one item.

Since ancient times, the tradition of fortune telling with cookies has come to us. Various symbolic things were placed inside - buttons, pieces of paper and even needles, which were then used to determine the future fate. So, there have been situations when they swallowed a needle precisely during such fortune-telling.

If you swallow a needle

Everyone knows about safety precautions, but what should you do if you or someone you know swallows a needle? First of all, you should remember that even if you swallow the smallest needle, you can get serious health problems, including death. Therefore, your first action should be to call the ambulance service. Only experienced specialists using x-rays will be able to determine the exact location of the needle and remove it.

Under no circumstances should you shake the person, tap him on the back, or turn him over, hoping that in this way the needle will come out on its own. On the contrary, often such actions will only worsen the situation. It is necessary to ensure maximum rest for the person and neutralize him, since any muscle contraction provokes movement of the needle.

The needle can be anywhere: stuck in muscles or tissues, remaining in the trachea, getting into the stomach, ending up in the esophagus or abdominal cavity, puncturing a vein and going into the bloodstream, getting into the heart, lung or trachea. But under no circumstances should we panic. The main thing to remember is that the needle does not move at lightning speed. Before she gets to a dangerous place, doctors will get her out (if you immediately call an ambulance). Reassure the person and provide him with complete peace. Explain that in most cases, the needle comes out easily with the stool without causing any harm to the body.

You can't make it up on purpose

It's hard to believe, but there are cases when people swallow needles on purpose. And they do this of their own free will, being in sound memory and consciousness. First of all, artists, circus performers and extreme sports enthusiasts make a living from such a trade. For them it is work and daily training.

Such cases happen quite often in prisons among prisoners. This is the only way to quickly get to the infirmary. And there life is completely different...

In ancient chronicles one can find various beliefs that described the ritual of swallowing a needle as proof of devotion, innocence or purity. If a person remained alive and unharmed after such a ritual, he was recognized as a righteous person, and if he died, he was recognized as a liar.

Safety first

Of course, every person should know what needs to be done after swallowing a needle. But it’s better to once again reinsure yourself and your loved ones by taking the necessary precautions. First of all, you should clearly determine where the needle bed will be stored. This should be a closed place, inaccessible to children. It is best when the needles are in one place in the capsule, and the capsule is in a box or box. It is advisable to exclude the possibility of the container falling and opening.

You also need to be careful where you leave your needles after sewing. Always put them back where they belong. While working, do not stick the needle into a pillow or sofa upholstery, even for a short time. It's better to sew at the table. Never put a needle in your mouth. To do this, use a special sewing pad.

Explain to children and other family members the dangers that can arise if a needle is swallowed. Explain precautions and emergency procedures.

If you follow safety precautions when using sharp objects, such a situation will never happen to you and your family members.

The entry of small foreign objects into the body is always dangerous. With intentional ingestion, it is difficult to talk about anything other than human stupidity, however, there is also the option of an accident, which very often occurs in young children acting on pure curiosity.

Yes, and elementary inattention cannot be written off: the same small and thin ones are easy to miss. What happens if you swallow a needle, and what measures should be taken in this situation?

Even if you did not immediately feel any discomfort, this situation will not turn out to be anything good. According to doctors, if the needle, passing through the larynx, gets stuck there, this will be the best outcome, since removing it will not be too difficult. Although a person will receive a lot of unpleasant and even painful sensations in the throat area, as well as a wound, as well as an inflammatory process on the damaged mucous membrane. However, in most cases the story does not end so rosy, and the needle continues its way down into the internal organs. Which one will be damaged is a question to which the answer cannot be guessed. But it’s easy to say which one you should be most afraid of.

  • Heart. According to statistics, the needle reaches it very rarely, “getting stuck” on other internal organs, as well as a whole network of veins and arteries, but this probability cannot be discounted. And it is certainly one of the most dangerous. Even minor damage to the heart will lead to almost instant death, so the countdown from the moment the needle is swallowed is counted by hours.
  • Lungs. The likelihood of their damage is higher than with the heart, but the degree of danger is no lower. If the needle does not just touch (scratch) the lung, but remains in it and, accordingly, permanently injures it during the process of inhalation and exhalation, the matter may end in amputation of the lung. And in the case when the doctor did not have time to do this, death.
  • Stomach. This is one of the most preferable options, since according to statistics, 80% of cases of this type are not fatal, since the needle comes out with food waste. True, one cannot deny the fact that the process of its passage through the digestive tract can cause significant damage to the mucous membrane and even the anus during defecation. However, this cannot be compared with the consequences described for the heart and lungs.

These are one of the most common scenarios, according to medical statistics, since there are not many “paths” for the needle - either into the digestive tract, or into the lungs through the respiratory “passage,” or into the heart.

What measures to take?

There are several difficulties in such a situation: firstly, if everything happened by chance and unnoticed by a person, he will not have time to react instantly, and delay could cost him his life. Young parents often wonder how to tell if their child has swallowed a needle. There may be no symptoms at all, except for pain in the area where the perforation occurred. However, no one can say with a 100% guarantee that this discomfort is precisely from a swallowed needle, especially if the parents realized it too late or had no idea what the baby was in contact with.

  • Often, young parents begin to panic that their child might have swallowed a needle while playing with a sewing kit, after just a few days. Doctors assure: the incident will either be revealed immediately (by pain), or it simply did not happen. Those. after 2-3 days, remembering that the child had a needle in his hands, and then trying to figure out whether he swallowed it, is pointless.

The symptoms of damage to one or another organ cannot be indicated. The only thing that can happen is pain at a certain point (left, right, in the lung area, in the epigastric region, etc.). And, according to doctors, there is no need to wait until the swallowed needle makes itself felt - as soon as the situation itself has happened, you need to immediately call an ambulance to get an x-ray: the examination will show where exactly the foreign body got into and whether it managed to do anything .

Additionally, it is important to note that if you swallow a needle, you should not:

  • Move. A static position of the body will give a greater chance that the needle will not penetrate the walls of the stomach, intestines, etc. Bends are especially dangerous.
  • Tap on the chest/back, press on the abdominal area.
  • Trying to provoke vomiting by removing the needle will not help at all.

If it happens that you still have to wait and wait until the ambulance appears, you can use the traditional method and eat a portion of oatmeal/semolina porridge. It doesn't matter if it's water or milk. The enveloping structure will help mitigate possible harm from the needle, however, only if it gets into the digestive tract. If it was breathed into the lungs, this method will do nothing. It will take 2-3 days for the needle to pass through the stool on its own.