UHNM CEO Award Winners: Dr Mohamed Haris and Dr Viktoria Oakden

Two members of staff from the North Midlands Pleural Interventional Unit at UHNM have been recognised for helping to save the life of an infant who had swallowed a peanut. 

Dr Mohamed Haris, Respiratory Consultant, and Dr Viktoria Oakden, Pleural and Advanced Bronchoscopy Fellow, answered the call for help from colleagues at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke to help retrieve the nut from the 18-month old’s left lung. 

Dr Haris and Dr Oakden, who used a small camera and forceps to safely remove the peanut, were presented with a CEO Award by Dr Simon Constable, UHNM Chief Executive. 

The pair were nominated by Mariet Antony, Pleural Nurse Specialist. 

Mariet said: “After receiving the request for help from our paediatric colleagues, I called Dr Haris on his mobile, and despite being a very busy senior consultant, he always responds and provides clinical assistance or guidance. He answered straight away and indicated he could do the bronchoscopy and asked me to get in touch with Dr Oakden to assist him with the procedure. Despite being in a team meeting she also came straight away.”  

Speaking after receiving his award, Dr Hairs, who has worked at UHNM for 12 years said: “We carry out advanced bronchoscopies mainly in adult patients with a tumour or foreign body that needs to be removed. Our Paediatric colleagues had done their best to explore the airways and take the peanut out, but needed the assistance of the Plural Service who have 24/7 access to the bronchoscopy equipment.

“As well as a blocked airway which made the infant feel breathless, there was also the risk that they could have developed pneumonia beyond the blockage, and there is then a risk that the pneumonia could develop into sepsis. 

“It was a completely different scenario for us, as we were dealing with very small airways rather than larger ones in adult patients. It was challenging because whilst we’re used to carrying out the most advanced bronchoscopies, we were trying to use the camera that we use for adults to get into the airways. We can only go as far as the camera could take us, but using forceps, luckily, we were able to get the peanut out.”

Dr Oakden said: “I am very grateful for the recognition of our work and grateful to colleagues for their support. I’m pleased that we were able to help the patient, because of the risk of immediate and long-term complications.” 

Dr Haris added: “We were happy to respond to the call and take pride in the work that the team does.”