Can We Do Anything Else before Removing a Button Battery from the Esophagus?-Hyaluronic Acid

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Toxicology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Button battery ingestion can cause severe esophageal damage due to leakage of alkaline or acidic contents.
• Early intervention is crucial to mitigate corrosive injury to the esophageal mucosa.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the protective efficacy of a hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, and poloxamer 407 mixture against button battery-induced esophageal injury in an animal model.
• To assess the impact of the protective solution on esophageal pH and battery voltage.

Main Methods:

• An experimental study using 60 porcine esophageal samples divided into control, exposure, and exposure-protection groups.
• Button batteries (CR2032) were applied for varying durations (2-24 hours); the protection group received the solution 1 hour post-exposure.
• Esophageal pH and battery voltage were measured throughout the experiment.

Main Results:

• The hyaluronic acid solution significantly buffered pH changes at both the anode and cathode compared to the control group.
• A notable reduction in battery voltage was observed in the exposed group versus the protected group at 1 hour.
• The protective buffering effect persisted for 3-5 hours, even after solution application ceased.

Conclusions:

• Hyaluronic acid-based solutions demonstrate a significant protective effect against button battery-induced esophageal mucosal damage.
• The solution effectively neutralizes extreme pH shifts and reduces battery electrical potential.
• This suggests a potential therapeutic role for hyaluronic acid solutions in managing button battery ingestions.