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Procedural sedation associated displacement of sharp oesophageal foreign body
Vishal Sondhi1, Suprabha Kumari Patnaik, Atul Khullar
1Pediatrics Department, Military Hospital, Ambala Cantt, India. dr.sondhi@yahoo.co.in
Insights
A child swallowed a sharp board pin, which lodged in the esophagus. Procedural sedation caused muscle relaxation, allowing the pin to move to the stomach, highlighting sedation risks for esophageal foreign bodies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Emergency Medicine
- Clinical Case Reports
Background:
- Esophageal foreign bodies are common in children, requiring interventions like endoscopic removal or observation.
- Sharp objects pose a significant risk of perforation and complications.
Observation:
- A case of a child ingesting a sharp board pin lodged at the C(7)-T(1) level for 8 hours.
- The pin caused tracheal mucosa indentation.
- Procedural sedation with midazolam and ketamine was administered.
Findings:
- During sedation, spontaneous muscle relaxation led to the pin migrating to the stomach.
- Endoscopy revealed minor esophageal mucosal erosions.
- The foreign body was not retrieved endoscopically but was later spontaneously egested.
Implications:
- Procedural sedation for aero-digestive tract foreign bodies carries a risk of spontaneous movement due to muscle relaxation.
- This case underscores the potential for unexpected complications during sedation for esophageal foreign bodies.
- Careful consideration of sedation's effects on foreign body stability is crucial.
Abstract:
Oesophageal foreign body is a common clinical problem. The therapeutic intervention varies from endoscopic removal to observation for spontaneous passage of foreign body. The authors illustrate a case of sharp board pin ingestion by a child, which stayed impacted at C(7)-T(1) level for 8 h with indentation of tracheal mucosa. However, upon administration of midazolam and ketamine for procedural sedation, the pin spontaneously advanced to stomach when muscle relaxation had set in. A few oesophageal mucosal erosions were noted on the endoscopy. The foreign body could not be retrieved by the procedure and was spontaneously egested impacted in faeces. This case presents a distinctive hazard associated with procedural sedation for a foreign body in aero-digestive tract, where the associated muscle relaxation can lead to complications due to spontaneous movement of foreign body.
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