NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah Successfully Removes Foreign Body from 10-Year-Old Child: A Model of Rapid Multidisciplinary Response

Sharjah, UAE – 06 Oct– A life-threatening case of foreign body aspiration (FBA) in a 10-year-old boy was successfully managed at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah, thanks to the swift action and seamless collaboration of a multidisciplinary pediatric team.

An Unusual Presentation

While foreign body aspiration is most common in children under the age of five, this case was unusual both in age and in presentation. The child arrived at the emergency department with abdominal pain and repeated vomiting, symptoms that initially suggested a gastrointestinal cause. However, oxygen saturation was found to be 89% on room air, and examination revealed absent air entry on the right side of the chest.

This discrepancy prompted the attending pediatrician to re-examine the history, during which the parents recalled a possible choking episode the previous evening while the child was playing with school supplies.

Immediate Intervention Within One Hour

Given the strong clinical suspicion, the child was immediately transferred to the ER for stabilization. Within one hour of presentation, a bronchoscopy under general anesthesia was performed, revealing a plastic piece of a mechanical pencil lodged in the right main bronchus.

The foreign body was removed safely without complications such as bleeding or airway trauma, and airway patency was fully restored.

Smooth Recovery

Post-procedure, the child was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for close monitoring. He remained hemodynamically stable, with oxygen saturation improving to 98–100% on room air. After 8 hours of PICU observation, he was shifted to the general ward, and by the next morning—less than 24 hours after arrival—the child was discharged home in good health.

Expert Insights

Dr. Deepika Gandhi, Specialist Pediatrics & PICU, remarked:

“Timely recognition and swift intervention were critical in saving the patient’s life. From arrival to intervention, everything was completed within one hour, and the child was safely discharged the next morning. This was only possible due to our team’s vigilance and rapid response.”

Dr. Sameh Ali, Specialist Pediatrics & Neonatology, emphasized:

“This case demonstrates how foreign body aspiration can sometimes present in atypical ways. Without careful examination and re-checking the history, the diagnosis could have been delayed.”

Dr. Aamir Yassin, Consultant Pediatric Pulmonology, who performed the bronchoscopy, added:

“Bronchoscopy is the gold standard for both diagnosis and removal. The multidisciplinary teamwork ensured the procedure was successful and complication-free.”

Dr. Mohammad Shabbir, Consultant Emergency Medicine, noted:

“The emergency department is always the first line of defense. In this case, rapid recognition of the red flags and immediate coordination with pediatrics and pulmonology allowed us to stabilize the child and move to intervention without losing critical time.”

Lessons from the Case

• Atypical symptoms can mask foreign body aspiration, making careful history-taking essential.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration between pediatrics, intensive care, emergency medicine, and pulmonology was key to success.
• Time is critical—in this case, diagnosis, intervention, and recovery all occurred within 24 hours.
• Although classic respiratory signs may be absent, foreign body aspiration can lead to serious complications if not promptly recognized. In this case, timely intervention successfully prevented outcomes such as pneumonia, atelectasis, and bronchiectasis.

Commitment to Pediatric Emergency Care

This case exemplifies NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah’s commitment to providing world-class pediatric emergency care, where rapid intervention and teamwork save lives. Parents are encouraged to remain vigilant and seek immediate medical attention if a choking episode or sudden breathing difficulty occurs.