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Baby in intensive care after swallowing button battery
A Queensland baby is an induced coma after swallowing a button battery which went on to burn a seven-centimetre hole in her throat.
An initial visit to the hospital failed to uncover the battery and her father believes a simple X-ray could have prevented the distressing incident.
One-year-old Amity had to be airlifted to Townsville and undergo emergency surgery to remove the battery, which ended up being in her throat for about 30 hours after she ingested it, causing significant damage.
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Her father, Daniel Buchanan, told Today he is "angry with hospital staff" for not discovering the battery after his daughter was first taken to Mackay Base Hospital by ambulance on Monday.
He said paramedics suspected she had ingested something she shouldn't have because she was continuously vomiting.
Buchanan's partner, who had been with Amity, did not see the girl swallow the battery but he said they both suspected she had ingested something.
At the hospital, which was reportedly very busy and had no free beds, Buchanan said the doctor checked Amity's airways with a stethoscope and said she was "fine" to go home.
Buchanan said Amity only continued to get more unwell once they got home.
"From 4pm that day to 11.30am the following day, Amity continuously vomited and couldn't keep any fluids or solids down," he said.
"You could hear it hurting her."
They then took Amity to their GP on Tuesday, who requested she return to the hospital for an X-Ray, which discovered the button battery in her throat.
She was then airlifted to Townsville, where the battery was removed during a two-hour operation.
"None of the doctors would tell us she was going to be OK," Buchanan said.
"That was breaking our heart."
He said doctors found the battery had burnt a 7cm hole through her throat.
The little girl is now unconscious in intensive care at the Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane.
Buchanan insists it "all could have been prevented if she was X-rayed straight away".
"We were at the hospital within two hours but she ended up having it lodged in her throat for around 30 hours."
9news.com.au has reached out to Queensland Health for comment.
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