Cockroach found in lungs of 55-year-old after severe shortness of breath

KOCHI: A cockroach was found in the lungs of a 55-year-old man who had severe breathing problems. The incident took place at Amrita Hospital in Kochi. The cockroach removed from his lung was about four centimetres long. The medical team led by Dr Tinku Joseph, Head of Interventional Pulmonology, removed the cockroach from the 55-year-old's left lung.

The patient with respiratory failure had a neck puncture tube inserted for oxygenation. Doctors say that the cockroach may have reached the lungs through this. The patient felt as if something had entered his trachea. He then experienced severe shortness of breath. However, his X-ray showed nothing abnormal.

Later, the ENT department performed a bronchoscopy and found a cockroach in his lungs. Then the medical team of the interventional pulmonology department examined the patient and removed the cockroach. The doctors said that the 55-year-old has now left the hospital. Health experts say that such an incident may have been due to not closing the breathing tube.