Doctors were left stunned after a boy suffering breathing difficulties coughed up a blood-soaked live leech from his throat. Xiaoxiang, 7, also had a nasty cough and was coughing up blood in his saliva. He had previously been admitted to hospital when his coughing became worse, but the treatment he received proved to not be successful. The youngster was then transported to Pu'er People's Hospital, in China, where he was seen by paediatric specialists.
Medical staff carried out various treatments such as atomisation inhalation - a treatment that turns liquid medications into a mist that can be inhaled. But they were left shocked when Xiaoxiang violently coughed up a strange object. The foreign object was investigated by doctors, leading them to discover it was a live leech measuring around five inches (12cm) in length. They immediately carried out an electronic bronchoscopy on the child to clarify whether there were any other insects in his body.
And fortunately for the boy nothing else was found after an extensive search exploring every corner of his airways. However, doctors determined that the leech had been inside Xiaoxiang's lungs for a significant period of time, causing a serious infection.
His treatment involved a deep clean of his lungs, and removal of blood clots in the area, as reported by NeedToKnow. This proved to be successful and Xiaoxiang's lungs were restored so that he could recover from his breathing difficulties. If attempts were unsuccessful to remove the leech, the insect could have blocked the child's airways, causing suffocation.
