NEW DELHI: Who would have thought that caring for innocent pigeons could land a boy into hospital requiring urgent oxygen therapy! A recent case reported at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) points towards the health risks of prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers.
Doctors at SGRH said an 11-year-old boy was admitted at the emergency ward with severe respiratory distress. Medical examination of the boy showed opaque lungs, confirming that he had contracted chronic lung disease. Opacities refer to areas appearing white on a chest radiograph, which should look darker.
“The boy had initially reported coughing, which seemed usual at first, but quickly worsened, requiring urgent care. Medical examinations revealed that the boy had developed lung inflammation and opacities that were consistent with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, said Dr Dhiren Gupta, Co-Director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
After inquiring into the activities of the patient, doctors found a connection between his medical condition and pigeons. According to them, the boy suffered the potentially fatal allergic reactions due to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers.
The patient was administered oxygen therapy and put under steroid treatment. The team of doctors successfully cured the inflammation in the lungs, allowing his breathing to normalize.
The doctors emphasised the need for awareness about potential environmental triggers, such as bird droppings and feathers. “This case highlights the critical importance of recognizing the early signs of pneumonia and taking prompt action to prevent serious complications. Education about potential environmental triggers, like bird droppings and feathers, is essential for preventing similar incidents. Don’t take innocuous looking pigeons, chickens lightly if they are residing in same vicinity,” said Dr Suresh Gupta, director of the pediatric ICU.
According to experts, hypersensitivity pneumonitis is rare among children, occurring in four among one million. It is a long-term interstitial lung disease which may lead to progressive and irreversible damage of lung tissue, hindering the patient’s ability to breathe.