Teen Struggles To Swallow As Quarter Gets Vertically Stuck in Throat, Lodged in His Airway

A teenager had to make an emergency room visit after accidentally ingesting a quarter that ended up vertically lodged in his airway.

Quarter Vertically Stuck in Teen's Airway

The 14-year-old from California has to undergo an emergency procedure following the swallow. Based on the report, which was noted in the New England Journal of Medicine, the teenager was brought to the emergency room after complaints of swallowing difficulties and hoarseness six hours after he accidentally ingested the coin.

In the teenager's case, the quarter was found to be vertically stuck in the subglottis, which is the area between the trachea and vocal cords. Its position was similar to a coin deposited into a vending machine.

The teenager was reportedly able to comfortably breathe without stridor. The virtual position of the coin enabled air to pass despite the discomfort felt by the teenager. However, he needed to go through an emergency procedure for the quarter to be removed.

The National Institute of Health says that foreign bodies in the airway, especially in the larynx and trachea, need to be removed immediately in order to reduce the risk of having respiratory issues. The teenager was quite fortunate because, in the majority of accidental aspiration cases, foreign objects typically lodge themselves within the trachea or other throat areas. This could potentially jeopardize the breathing of the patient.

The adolescent was dosed with general anesthesia. The quarter was removed from his airway using forceps. Though the teenager experienced ulceration in the area where the quarter was, the symptoms of the patient abated when the coin was removed. He was also eventually discharged.

Ingesting Foreign Objects

According to the report, foreign bodies that are accidentally ingested typically end up in the esophagus. These usually lodge more distally compared to the case of the teenager. This is due to the larger size of the airway and gravity. This makes the case of the teenage boy relatively distinct.

Among accidentally ingested foriegn objects, coins are also the most common ones that children swallow. In fact, these coins account for over 60% of cases of children who seek medical aid after ingesting a foreign object. After pennies, quarters are the second most common coin that gets swallowed.

A study has also found that accidental foreign object ingestions have doubled in the past years. However, these cases typically happen among children under six years of age.

According to Poison Control, coins that are taken away from the esophagus within the span of 24 hours post-ingestion may not likely lead to permanent damage of the tissue. However, serious internal injuries may happen if the coins stay in the esophagus for prolonged periods.

The agency also notes that when a coin moves from the esophagus to the stomach, it may be excreted in stool in a few weeks.

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