Seven days of coughing the cause turned out to be an almond

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A one-year-old child was given a new lease of life after doctors at Government Medical College and Hospital(GMCH) removed an almond piece lodged in the lung following seven days of persistent coughing. The incident highlights the risk of feeding finely crushed dry fruits to infants, where even brief negligence can prove life-threatening.

The city-based toddler had been suffering from continuous cough, fever, and breathlessness for a week. Despite treatment at several private hospitals, there was no relief. After admission to Ghati Hospital, paediatricians suspected a serious issue and referred the child to ENT department head Dr. Sunil Deshmukh, who suspected a foreign object in the lung. A CT scan confirmed the presence of an almond piece. Given the critical condition, an emergency surgery was performed on Tuesday night, during which the almond piece lodged in the left lung was visualised using an endoscope and removed with special forceps, immediately easing the child’s breathing.

The complex surgery was conducted under the guidance of GMCH dean Dr. Shivaji Sukre, with key support from ENT specialists Dr. Sonali Jatale, Dr. Girija Jalnapurkar, Dr. Kalyani Ugle, Dr. Hrishikesh Kharade, and Dr. Utkarsh Shah, along with anaesthesiologists, resident doctors, nurses, and Class-IV staff.