Foreign Body Ingestion in Children: A 16-year Experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Emergency Medicine
• Endoscopy

Background:

• Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a frequent pediatric emergency.
• Endoscopic removal is necessary for up to 20% of pediatric FB ingestions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review pediatric FB ingestion cases requiring endoscopy.
• To compare management practices with published guidelines.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of children (0-16 years) undergoing endoscopy for FB ingestion (Jan 2007-Dec 2022).
• Analysis of patient demographics, symptoms, FB location, and type.
• Comparison of management against NASPGHAN, ESPGHAN, and SIGENP guidelines.

Main Results:

• 62 children underwent endoscopy for FB ingestion; 62.9% were symptomatic.
• Vomiting, pain, and sialorrhea were the most common symptoms.
• Coins were the most frequent FB (42.0%), predominantly in the esophagus (56.2%).
• Symptomatic presentation correlated with upper-middle esophageal FB location (p<0.001).
• Guideline adherence: NASPGHAN/ESPGHAN (68.8%), SIGENP (72.9%).

Conclusions:

• Coins are the most common foreign bodies ingested by children, often lodging in the esophagus.
• Symptom presence is linked to foreign body location in the upper-middle esophagus.
• Timely endoscopic intervention (within 2 hours) presents challenges.