Approximately 300 children who either ingest or inhale foreign bodies are annually taken to the Mother and Child Institute in Chisinau, while another 100 children are hospitalized with chemical injury after taking in alkaline or acid substances. About ten years ago, the extraction of foreign bodies was a difficult and long process owing to the outdated medical equipment. With the implementation of the Moldovan-Swiss Regionalization of Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care Services in Moldova (REPEMOL) Project, the country received modern medical equipment that helped save child lives, IPN reports.
In an international conference staged in Chisinau on October 25-26, there was presented a case when a woman, who is from Nisporeni district, was close to losing one of her twins four years ago after this drank vinegar of 70% that burned his digestive tract. The woman said the child, who hadn’t yet reached a year, was rushed to the hospital in a very serious state and there was practically no hope that this will be saved. After the boy was examined at the district hospital, he was transferred to the Mother and Child Institute. As a result of long treatment, he was discharged. When they returned home, the mother fed the child with the help of a syringe or a bottle owing to the repercussions of the burning by concentrated acetic acid. In a period, the boy’s state of health worsened and this could no longer eat. Following a prompt intervention by doctors of the Endoscopy Section of the Mother and Child Institute and owing to the modern equipment purchased by REPEMOL, the boy recovered and is now almost alike his twin brother.
Endoscopy Section head Valentina Rascov said that owing to the modern medical equipment, they managed to prevent a possible disability in the child. The specialists enlarged the child’s esophagus from 3 mm to 10 mm. The boy’s state of health improved and this can now eat as a normal child.
Contacted by IPN, Valentina Rascov said the children younger than six are most exposed to such incidents. Among the objects extracted from the nose, mouth, esophagus or stomach of child patients are coins, buttons, seeds, small dismountable parts, etc. The small batteries and magnetized objects are the most dangerous as it is very hard to take them out. Furthermore, when they get into the body, they start to eliminate a very harmful alkaline substance. The batteries can also cause perforations in the stomach and digestive system as well as peritonitis and surgery is often needed in such cases.
The international conference “Quality of health services and patient safety in medical assistance provided to children” was held within the Moldovan-Swiss project REPEMOL in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the National Health Assessment and Accreditation Council of Moldova and the National Authority of Health Quality Management of Romania.
