Two-year-old dies after doctors use air hose to remove popcorn stuck up nose

Daily Record

2 days ago

Ravi de Souza Figueiredo, two, died just hours after he was treated and discharged from hospital
A two-year-old boy tragically lost his life after doctors attempted to remove a popcorn kernel stuck in his nose by blowing air up his nostril, causing his stomach and lungs to rupture.
Ravi de Souza Figueiredo passed away just hours after being treated and discharged from Goiatuba Municipal Hospital in Goias state, Brazil.
The horrifying incident has led to the indictment of two doctors on manslaughter charges following an investigation into negligence at the hospital.
It comes as an .
The tot's parents rushed him to the hospital after discovering the object lodged in his nose and failing to remove it themselves. Initially, hospital staff tried to extract the kernel using tweezers.
When the initial attempt failed, they inserted a rubber cannula into his nostril and blew compressed air twice in an effort to dislodge the kernel. According to the family, the kernel remained stuck and the child immediately vomited, reports the Mirror.
His father noticed his stomach swelling immediately after the procedure. Forensic reports later revealed Ravi's lung and stomach had ruptured.
Despite this, Ravi was given medication for gas, observed for a few hours, and then discharged. He fell ill again shortly afterwards and was re-admitted to the hospital for further tests.
"He remained bloated, weak and couldn't speak. He didn't look well, he was distressed, so we returned to the same hospital,'" his father Josenilson da Silva Figueiredo said.
A paediatrician ordered his transfer to a larger hospital, but tragically, he developed breathing difficulties en route and was pronounced dead shortly after on April 5.
His mother, Priscila Marta de Souza, said: "I saw the moment the nurse lowered her head. She said 'unfortunately, your son has passed away.' I went into despair."
The post-mortem examination listed acute respiratory failure as the cause of death. His father is quoted in Brazilian news website G1 as saying: "Ravi was fine, breathing normally and even talking. He was a healthy child, running everywhere. I want justice. It's so painful."
Police chief Sergio Henrique stated the compressed air procedure was not standard practice and an immediate X-ray could have prevented the tragedy.
"When trying to remove the corn kernel, which was in the boy's nose, the doctor used a non-standard technique, which is not recommended - introducing a compressed air cannula into the child's upper airways," he explained to reporters on 9 July.
"This caused air to enter the lungs and stomach with great force, leading to the rupture of these organs," he added. Dr Daniella Carvalho Ferreira and Dr Isabella Helena Caixeta de Oliveira have now been charged with negligence over the boy's death.
The Public Prosecutor's Office is now in receipt of the investigation and is awaiting technical details from the Regional Medical Council of the State of Goias. The family's solicitor, Vinicius Dias, has pledged to support the prosecution and lodge a civil lawsuit, stating that the defence will be 'firm, technical and combative' to guarantee accountability.