Doctors Save Infant After Plastic Fragment Nearly Blocks Her Airway

A 10-month-old infant was rushed to Almaty’s Children’s City Clinical Hospital No. 2 after developing a severe cough, vomiting, and breathing difficulties. Doctors immediately suspected a foreign object might be blocking her airway. The child arrived in critical condition, transported by medical aircraft while on mechanical ventilation and under sedation. An emergency telemedicine consultation was held before she was admitted to intensive care.

A multidisciplinary team performed a bronchoscopy and found a 1.5 × 1.0 cm fragment of clear, rigid plastic with sharp edges lodged in her trachea. The object was successfully removed, preventing a complete airway blockage and severe respiratory failure. The infant remains in hospital for treatment of bilateral pneumonia. Her condition has since stabilised, and she is now breathing without assistance. Doctors credit the rapid response and teamwork for averting a potential tragedy.