Doctors use cola to treat gastric bezoar in young girl

Local doctors have successfully used cola to soften and shrink a gastric bezoar inside a 4-year-old girl after she ate too much dried persimmon.

The girl was rushed to Children's Hospital of Fudan University last Tuesday after she complained of a belly ache and was vomiting blood.

Doctors conducted a gastroscopy and discovered an odd, black growth inside her stomach that was too big to remove directly through her esophagus.

Dr Huang Ying, director of the digestive disease department, suspected it was a gastric bezoar and inquired about the girl's diet in recent days. The girl told doctors she had eaten six dried persimmons two nights prior.

Since the growth was the size of a goose egg, it was capable of rubbing against the stomach and cause bleeding, ulcers and even intestinal obstruction.

Doctors consulted medical reports and found successful cases of using cola to soften gastric concretions, so they decided to give it a try.

Carbon dioxide released from cola can cover the surface of the concretion and split it, and phosphoric acid in cola can attack and destroy small bezoar connections.

After days of cola therapy, doctors conducted another gastroscopy on Friday and found the bezoar had become smaller and softer. They then cut the large bezoar into two parts and removed them completely.

Doctors said persimmons are loaded with tannic acid, which can make food clot inside the stomach.

"Parents shouldn't try the cola therapy at home. It's important to go to a hospital for a medical evaluation. Moreover, it's crucial that children have healthy diets," Huang said. "Do not eat too much persimmon at one time, and don't drink milk after eating persimmon or eat it with other acidic fruit or seafood. The elderly, children and those with digestive diseases should be especially careful."