Plan B Forum

Doctors pull chopstick from Chinese boy’s brain
By Amy Graff on March 6, 2015 10:51 AM


The x-ray photo of a Chinese boy’s brain that was punctured by a chopstick is unsettling. Yet it’s this image that finally allowed a medical team to understand why the child was vomiting and fatigued and ultimately save his life.

Hanhang, 1, was walking around with a chopstick when he tripped and fell, according to CEN.

The long stick drove up his nose and his parents quickly removed the object and took him to the hospital.

Doctors examined Hanhang and failed to notice that the chopstick had punctured the brain and small pieces were still lodged in his head.

“When we got home after our first visit to the hospital, my husband broke all the chopsticks in half and threw them away as we were worried something like this could happen again,” Yu Liao, Hanhang’s 25-year-old mom told CEN.

“But we had no idea there was still one inside of his head,” she said.

At home, Hanhang’s condition worsened as he repeatedly vomited and was noticeably lethargic.

His parents brought him back to the hospital where doctors ordered an X-ray and discovered the chopstick piece.

“We were beside ourselves with worry,” Liao said.

“After removing the remaining six centimeters his condition improved immediately, but he does have a brain infection so will be staying in the hospital for further treatment,” Dr. Li Shaovi told CEN.

Kids and chopsticks can be a dangerous combination. A 2-year-old Chinese boy stuck a chopstick in his nose last year and it penetrated three inches into his brain. Doctors spent four hours carefully removing it. Also, last year a 12-year-old Chinese boy was running across a school playground when he fell over onto a pair of chopsticks in his hand. The sticks penetrated his neck and the boy underwent surgery to remove them.

Note to parents: Chopsticks are to only be handled by children sitting at the dinner table.