Whistle Nearly Chokes 4-Year-Old

Itamar was brought by Magen David Adom to Schneider Children's with a whistle from a rubber duck lodged in his throat blocking his airways. He was admitted in severe respiratory distress to the ER.

Within minutes, an emergency medical team of ENT, anesthesia and intensive care specialists was summoned. Their speedy action to extract the whistle prevented further complications and saved the child from choking to death. Itamar was subsequently transferred under sedation and on a ventilator to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for continued observation. He was discharged after his condition stabilized.

Dr. Elhanan Nahum, Director of Intensive Care, stated that “we repeat and emphasize that parents must pay attention and not allow their children to play with small items or with easily removable parts which can be inhaled and block the airway passages. This is a very common occurrence not only in infants and toddlers but also older children. It is important to remember that if a child inhales a foreign body immediate medical attention must be sought or the child brought without delay to the hospital’s ER.”