DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2017.v05i09.017

Pages: 564-566

The practice of using the lips as an auxiliary hand is common. Despite its utility however, the habit is potentially dangerous as the objects being held by the lips can easily get displaced into the throat and may get stuck in the upper aero-digestive tract. Scenarios in which this happen are frequently encountered in patients who present with foreign bodies in the throat but unfortunately much attention has not been paid to discouraging the habit. We report a case in which a pin which was held in the mouth ended being aspirated into the airway. The report showcases the habit of using the lips as an auxiliary hand as a common event leading to foreign bodies getting stuck in the throat and recommends that people be educated to avoid the habit of using the lips as an auxiliary hand particularly with small objects that can get lodged in the throat.