14-year-old goes to ER with hoarse voice — and doctors find coin wedged in his throat

A teenage boy arrived at an emergency room in California struggling to swallow and sounding hoarse.

He had a quarter in his airway.

The 14-year-old had spent the last six hours in discomfort after he told doctors he had “accidentally swallowed” the coin, according to a case report published in The New England Journal of Medicine on April 3.

He wasn’t having issues breathing, so doctors took X-rays of his chest to see where the coin was lodged.

Where the throat met his chest, the quarter had turned and aligned vertically in his airway, allowing air to pass, but was stuck between his vocal cords and trachea, according to the case report.

“When aspirated into the airway by older children, foreign bodies typically lodge more distally than in this case (in the trachea or a mainstem bronchus), owing to gravity and the larger airway size,” the doctors said. “Airway foreign bodies — especially those in the trachea and larynx — necessitate immediate removal to reduce the risk of respiratory compromise.”

The doctors acted quickly and sedated the 14-year-old to perform a bronchoscopy, or entrance into the airway, using a grabbing tool.

The coin was pulled from his throat, and only minimal damage was left behind, the doctors said. His symptoms went away when the coin was removed and he was sent home, according to the case report.

What to do if a child swallows a coin

If you believe your child, no matter the age, may have swallowed or inhaled a coin, it is important to contact their pediatrician right away, according to Upstate Medical University.

If the child is having difficulty breathing or swallowing, go to the emergency room right away. If the child is acting normally, consult with their primary care provider.

In most cases, doctors will suggest allowing the coin to pass naturally if it has been swallowed, said Gregory Conners, executive director of Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.

If you are unsure if the child swallowed a coin, a magnet or a battery, go to the emergency room right away, according to the university.

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