A needle removed from the muscle of a child in Lviv: how an insect bite turned out to be a dangerous injury.

Situation with the 13-year-old girl from Lviv region

According to ТСН: Doctors found a deeply embedded needle in the body of a 13-year-old girl from Lviv region, which her family initially believed was an insect bite. The foreign object had been in the child's muscles for about a week and could have caused serious complications.

The incident involved 13-year-old Angelina from the town of Dublyany. The day before, the girl was sewing a New Year's decoration for school and left needles on the table. In the morning, preparing for classes in semi-darkness due to a power outage, she felt a sharp pain in her arm. Her parents, inspecting the painful area, noticed only a small spot on the skin and decided it was an insect bite.

However, a few days later, a painful lump formed at the site of the "bite," and the pain in her arm became so severe that the child could not bend it. After visiting the hospital, specialists suspected a foreign body and referred the patient for an ultrasound examination.

"During the initial examination, we found a lump, the pain from which radiated deep into the tissues, which was alarming. The ultrasound confirmed the presence of a foreign object. Such cases occur, but usually patients know what happened. When no one suspects a foreign body — it is very rare," said pediatric surgeon Bohdana Li.

Further radiological examination showed that the needle had penetrated the soft tissues at an angle of 45 degrees and was deeply lodged in the muscle mass. Doctors noted that if the metal object migrated further, it could harm the vessels or nerve endings.

During the operation, surgeons used X-ray navigation, which allowed them to precisely determine the location of the needle and remove it along the entry trajectory without causing a break. The operation was successful.

After the intervention, it turned out that the girl had not been vaccinated against tetanus. Given the high risk of infection from foreign metal objects, the patient was immediately vaccinated. Medical professionals remind that in the case of tetanus infection, the mortality rate can reach 70%.

The hospital once again urged parents to adhere to the schedule of planned vaccinations and not to ignore even minor injuries in children, as they can conceal serious dangers.

It is worth noting that earlier reports stated that doctors in Lutsk removed almost 700 grams of hair from the stomach of a 7-year-old child.

This case underscores the importance of parental attention to children's health and the timeliness of medical interventions. Despite the seemingly harmless nature of injuries, they can lead to serious consequences. Doctors again urge not to neglect medical examinations and planned vaccinations to avoid similar emergencies in the future.