Clinical features and endoscopic management of sharp wooden object ingestions: a systematic review of 479 cases

Ingested sharp objects pose increased risks of adverse events compared with other foreign bodies. We conducted the largest systematic review to date of sharp wooden object ingestions to elucidate patterns in clinical presentation and guide management practices.

Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection databases were searched for cases of adults who ingested sharp wooden objects. Descriptive statistics were reported for risk factors, clinical presentations, laboratory and imaging findings, adverse events, and treatments.

Analysis of 479 cases showed that most patients were unaware of ingestion (74.8%) and toothpicks were the most common ingested item (92.5%). Male sex (70.1%), substance use (9.4%), and edentulousness (6.1%) were risk factors. Common symptoms included abdominal pain (83.7%) and fever (36.7%). Imaging identified the object in 48.1% of cases, with computed tomography being the most sensitive (54.7%). Objects were commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract (79.3%). They were consistently found in the gastrointestinal tract when patients were aware of ingestion or imaging showed an intraluminal/transluminal location. Endoscopy visualized the objects 76.1% of the time, with successful removal in 88.8% of cases; 4.7% of patients required surgery following endoscopic removal. Adverse events included perforation (87.5%) and abscess (33.0%), with a mortality rate of 5.0%.

Ingestion of sharp wooden objects presents heterogeneously and can lead to serious complications. Endoscopic removal is safe and effective. We propose a clinical algorithm to guide physicians in diagnosing and managing suspected sharp wooden object ingestion.