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Foreign body ingestion in children
Insights
Most pediatric foreign body ingestions pass naturally, but esophageal foreign bodies require endoscopic removal. Batteries and multiple magnets necessitate prompt endoscopic intervention to prevent complications.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
- Foreign Body Ingestion
Background:
- Foreign body ingestion is a common pediatric emergency.
- This study evaluates outcomes in children treated for ingested foreign bodies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the management and outcomes of pediatric patients with foreign bodies in the digestive tract.
- To identify risk factors and appropriate treatment strategies for ingested foreign bodies in children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 365 pediatric patients treated for foreign bodies in the digestive tract.
- Data collected from 2011-2018 at the University Hospital of Hradec Králové.
Main Results:
- Coins and batteries were the most common foreign bodies.
- 82.7% of foreign bodies passed spontaneously; 17.2% required endoscopic removal.
- No severe complications like perforation or obstruction were observed.
Conclusions:
- Esophageal foreign bodies require endoscopic removal.
- Gastric foreign bodies often pass naturally, necessitating observation.
- Endoscopic removal is indicated for persistent batteries, multiple magnets, or large foreign bodies.
Introduction:
Evaluation of results of the group of paediatric patients treated for swallowed foreign bodies in the digestive tract.
Methods:
Retrospective analysis of patients treated for foreign bodies in the digestive tract, managed at the University Hospital of Hradec Králové between 2011-2018.
Results:
365 patients (182 boys, 183 girls) with a foreign body in the digestive tract have been evaluated. The mean age was 2.4 years. Most of the children were treated as outpatients (280 children, 76.7%) and only 85 children (23.3%) were hospitalized. The most commonly swallowed frequent bodies included coins (26%) and batteries (14.5%); sharp objects occurred in 5.2%. Unusual foreign bodies were noticed, too. We can mention for example a pen or a plant nutrition product. In 302 cases (82.7%) the foreign bodies passed easily per vias naturales. Endoscopy was necessary in 63 cases (17.2%) - in 51 children the object had to be removed from the oesophagus and in 12 children the object had to be removed from the stomach. None of the swallowed bodies caused complications such as digestive tract perforation or bowel obstruction. No patient in the group was indicated for laparotomy to remove the foreign body.
Conclusion:
Foreign bodies entrapped in the oesophagus have to be removed endoscopically. In most cases, foreign bodies in the stomach require only observation in the outpatient setting because they leave the stomach easily, without complications, per vias naturales. If a battery remains at the same place of the digestive tract for more than 24 hours, endoscopic removal is indicated at our department. In addition, endoscopy is done in cases of swallowed multiple magnets or bodies that are too large and remain in stomach for several weeks or months. Surgical removal of foreign bodies should be reserved only for complicated cases.
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