Our parents taught us one important lesson: when eating fish, don't rush. Fish bones can be dangerous, and cause a number of problems when they get stuck in your throat. In China, a 51-year-old man started having health problems after eating fish. He didn't choke, but it was a fishbone that sent him to the hospital.
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The man's heart was perforated by a fishbone
As a general rule, it's when you're eating that animal bones can become a problem. If they get stuck in your throat, you're guaranteed to have a bad time. However, Dr. Jimmy Mohamed, interviewed by Europe 1, is categorical. If you accidentally swallow a fishbone:
There is no risk of a bone piercing the stomach or digestive tract.
In China, a 51-year-old man swallowed a bone without paying too much attention. During and immediately after the meal, there were no consequences. Except that the man began to run a fever shortly afterwards. At the hospital, doctors ran several tests on him, and indeed, a transthoracic echocardiogram revealed an 'abnormal echo' in the left atrium of his heart. As a result, the man underwent surgery, as detailed in the European Heart Journal:
During the operation, it was discovered that a 25 mm fishbone had penetrated the left atrium and that the tip of the fishbone was free in the left atrium.
The bone didn't damage the stomach, but it did manage to lodge in part of the patient's heart, causing a serious infection.
Read more:Man discovers flesh-eating maggots eating his eardrum
He had a staphylococcus aureus infection
This injury to the heart allowed Staphylococcus aureus to enter the patient's immune system. According to MSD Manuals, it is the most dangerous kind.
Staphylococcus aureus is the most dangerous of the many staphylococci frequently encountered.
Fortunately, the patient was treated in time. He received appropriate treatment and has no lasting effects.
Read more:Doctors were shocked to see what was really dripping from this man's nose
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
Sources used:
Europe 1: Que faire si vous avalez une arête de poisson ?
European Heart Journal: Rare cardiac foreign body: fishbone-penetrated heart
MSD Manuals: Infections à Staphylococcus aureus