A TEENAGE boy from California managed to swallow a quarter, but instead of it taking the express elevator down to his stomach, the coin decided to explore a less travelled route.
It took a detour into his airway, apparently mistaking the poor kid's vocal cords for a slot in a vending machine.
Published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, the tale unfolds with doctors discovering the wayward quarter lodged in the subglottis - the no-man's-land between the vocal cords and the trachea.
Despite the alarming location of this unexpected foreign object, the teen strolled into a hospital's emergency room.
His symptoms were mild: just a bit of hoarseness, some trouble swallowing, but, surprisingly, no drooling and comfortable breathing.
Doctors performed a high-stakes retrieval operation.
Under general anaesthetic they deployed long, optical forceps equipped with a camera, because if you're going to do a coin extraction, you might as well film it.
The quarter, perhaps sensing its impending capture, reflected off the camera lens as the forceps plucked it from its snug spot.
Post-coin-ectomy, the boy's airway was inspected for damage, sure enough, the quarter had left its mark - ulcerations that mirrored its ribbed edges.
Thankfully, after the removal, the boy's symptoms improved and he was discharged home.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 19 Apr 24
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 19 Apr 24
