A race against time to save the lungs from a hijab pin’s hidden peril

The day started like any other for 21-year old Ms Fauziya Wanjiru (not her real name). She prepared to open her salon business in Nairobi’s Kawangware area as usual. Adjusting her hijab, she secured it with a pin—a daily routine for modesty and style. But in a split second, the unthinkable happened. The tiny pin slipped and lodged itself in her throat. Her grandfather, panicked and desperate, rushed her to a nearby healthcare facility. An initial chest X-ray revealed a shocking truth: the pin had moved beyond her throat and lodged itself deep in her right diaphragm, turning an innocent accessory into a life-threatening emergency.

Unfortunately, the local facility lacked the expertise and equipment needed to retrieve it safely. Fauziya was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for advanced care. At KNH, a multidisciplinary team of specialists quickly stepped in to save her life. Led by Dr. Wanjiku Kagima, a pulmonologist and Head of the Medicine Department, and supported by Dr. Andrew Owuor, a fellow pulmonologist, and Dr. Sekwena, a cardiothoracic surgeon, the team prepared for a delicate bronchoscopy procedure. “The patient was received at our Accident & Emergency Department, where she was stabilized and admitted to a surgical ward,” recounted Ms. Joan Kagema, a Senior Nursing Officer at the Respiratory Diseases Unit. “Further tests confirmed that the pin had lodged in her right lung, making immediate intervention critical.” In a procedure lasting less than an hour, the team successfully removed the foreign object using a flexible bronchoscope and rat tooth forceps. The bronchoscope—a thin, lighted tube equipped with a camera—allowed the team to navigate precisely to the right lung, while the specialized forceps firmly grasped and removed the pin. “Immediately after the procedure, the patient regained consciousness and was closely monitored in the ward. She was discharged the following day,” added Ms. Kagema. Bronchoscopy, a minimally invasive technique, has revolutionized the removal of foreign objects from the respiratory system. Using either a rigid or flexible bronchoscope depending on the case, medical practitioners can visualize and navigate airways to remove obstructions or take biopsies with minimal risk and faster recovery times. Rat tooth forceps, like those used in Fauziya’s case, are specially designed to grasp dense tissues or objects firmly without slipping. KNH’s success in Fauziya’s case underscores its leadership in innovative medical solutions. “This was truly a team effort,” said Dr. Kagima. Alongside the pulmonologists, the nursing team— Senior Nursing Officers Mr. John Ndung’u and Ms. Joan Kagema—played a critical role in ensuring Fauziya’s comfort and safety throughout the process. Today, Fauziya has returned to her passion—caring for her clients’ hair at her salon in Kawangware. The once life-threatening hijab pin is now a distant memory, thanks to the expertise and advanced technology at KNH. This ground-breaking procedure not only saved her life but also highlighted KNH’s commitment to elevating healthcare standards and offering patients cutting-edge solutions for better outcomes.