Disc battery ingestion in paediatric age

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Emergency Medicine
• Toxicology

Background:

• Disc battery ingestion is a significant concern in pediatric emergency medicine.
• Timely medical evaluation is essential for managing potential complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze clinical data of children with disc battery ingestion.
• To identify predictors of short- and long-term injuries.
• To refine treatment guidelines and urgency of intervention.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of pediatric patients admitted for disc battery ingestion (2016-2020).
• Statistical analysis using odds ratio to determine factors associated with complications.

Main Results:

• 10.2% of 118 children experienced mild to major complications.
• Factors predicting poor outcomes included esophageal retention, battery diameter >20mm, age <1 year, and symptomatic presentation.
• Disc batteries lodged beyond the esophagus were less associated with harm.

Conclusions:

• Ingested disc batteries are a serious health hazard requiring prompt medical evaluation.
• Esophageal retention, large diameter, and symptom onset are key predictors of severity.
• A conservative approach may be suitable for disc batteries located beyond the esophagus.