Doctors at Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, India, were astounded when they discovered a live 3 cm cockroach in the small intestine of a patient suffering from stomach ache and indigestion.
The 23-year-old man had been admitted to the hospital after enduring severe abdominal pain for three days, which also interfered with his ability to digest food. The medical team suspected that his symptoms might be linked to contaminated street food he had consumed at a night market.
To diagnose the cause of his discomfort, doctors performed an Upper Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy, a procedure used to inspect the upper digestive tract. During this examination, they unexpectedly found a live cockroach in the patient’s small intestine.
Dr. Shubham Vatsya, speaking to the Indian Express, recounted the discovery, “For the last two or three days, the patient was suffering from indigestion and bloating after eating food. It was during routine inspections that we incidentally spotted the cockroach. Even we were surprised as to how the cockroach managed to remain intact.”
The medical team promptly used an endoscope equipped with dual channels for air/water infusion and air suction to remove the insect. Dr. Vatsya described the process, “We activated the suction button on the scope, effectively sucking the cockroach into the suction channel, leading to its removal from the body and saving the man’s life.” He added that immediate action was crucial to prevent potential complications like infections.
Regarding how the cockroach entered the man’s body, Dr. Vatsya theorized it might have either crawled into his mouth while he was asleep or was accidentally ingested at the night market.