Doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital Remove Peanut Fragments from 3-Year-Old's Bronchus

New Delhi: In a critical case, doctors at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh successfully removed peanut fragments stuck in the airway of a three-year-old girl, restoring her breathing and preventing potentially fatal complications.

The child was brought to the hospital on March 6, 2025, with a 10-day history of high-grade fever, cough, vomiting, and severe respiratory distress over the past three days.

On examination, doctors observed significantly reduced air entry on the right side of her chest and wheezing sounds during auscultation, raising suspicion of foreign body aspiration.

A chest X-ray confirmed the presence of an obstruction in the airway. Acting swiftly, the medical team led by Dr Deepak Kumar, Consultant – Paediatric Pulmonology, Allergy & Sleep Medicine, performed an emergency bronchoscopy in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The procedure revealed a peanut lodged in the right main bronchus.

“During extraction, the peanut broke into two pieces – a common scenario when dealing with soft organic foreign bodies like nuts, which are prone to fragmentation. The team also noted granulation tissue forming around the peanut due to the body’s inflammatory response. Inhalational steroids were administered to help manage the inflammation and ensure complete recovery,” said Dr Deepak Kumar.

He further explained, “Children under the age of 3 are still learning how to eat properly. In the body, there are two main pipes — the windpipe (trachea) and the esophagus (food pipe). When we swallow food, a flap called the epiglottis partially covers the windpipe to prevent food from entering it. However, young children often play or run while eating, and if they eat hard food during this time, it can accidentally slip into the windpipe instead of going down the esophagus. This is common in children below 3 years and is not a disease — it’s typically an accidental occurrence. Parents should avoid giving hard foods like peanuts, hard candy, chana, or dry fruits to children under 3 years. If such foods are to be given, they should be crushed or ground to reduce the risk. The entire procedure took 5–10 minutes. We first used a flexible bronchoscope to locate the peanut. Then, a basket connected to a wire was inserted to remove it. The visualisation process is called flexible bronchoscopy, and the removal process is known as foreign body removal.”

Dr Sonia Mittal, Director – Paediatrics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, emphasized the broader significance of such cases, “Foreign body aspiration in young children is far more common than people realize and can lead to severe complications if not diagnosed early. In this case, timely identification, advanced diagnostics, and expert intervention ensured the child’s complete recovery. The peanut had likely been stuck for at least 10 days. Parents should always monitor their young children and avoid giving hard foods like dry fruits. Common objects children aspirate include peanuts, candies, small toys, beads, and marbles. Organic materials like peanuts can cause significant inflammation in the airways if not removed promptly.”

Following the bronchoscopy, the child showed immediate improvement. A chest X-ray four hours later revealed significant progress. She remained under observation in the PICU and was discharged in stable condition on March 15, 2025. She has since resumed normal activities without any complications.