Button battery ingestion: assessment of therapeutic modalities and battery discharge state

Button batteries immersed in a simulated gastric environment (0.1N hydrochloric acid) demonstrated less crimp dissolution (corrosion of the metal can) after the addition of neutralizing doses of eight of nine antacids tested. Of 64 ingestion episodes in dogs, clinical manifestations of button battery-induced injury were limited to a single animal developing guaiac-positive stools. Endoscopic lesions included only mild gastritis, occurring with a frequency comparable to that observed in dogs prior to battery ingestion. After ingestion blood mercury levels were not significantly elevated. Crimp dissolution was absent in discharged cells, implying a decreased risk of electrolyte leakage or subsequent tissue injury in patients who ingest spent cells. No protective effect of metoclopramide, cimetidine, or magnesium citrate could be demonstrated in the canine model.