A girl was hospitalised after 100 undigested bubble tea balls were found in her stomach. The 14-year-old had been complaining of stomach cramps when her parents brought her to Zhuji People's Hospital in Zhejiang Province, China.
Local media Shaoxing News, reports that the girl had presented with intense cramping and bloating before doctors gave her a CT scan. It was then revealed that she had over 100 undigested bubble tea balls inside her stomach. Dr Louzhen Zhang discovered that the girl's digestive tract was lined with "granular shadows" that could be seen in her stomach, intestines, and anus. She was then told the teenager had had a bubble tea five days before and tended to consume the product regularly enough in general. Dr Zhang said that the bubbles in bubble tea - that are often made from tapioca pearls or jellies - are sometimes difficult to digest because of the "food additives, thickeners, and preservatives."The teenager has prescribed a strong laxative before being sent home.