Increasing cause of esophageal foreign body ingestion in children: alkaline batteries

Atila Türkyılmaz; Yener Aydın; Fatma Genç; Atilla Eroğlu

Atila Türkyılmaz¹, Yener Aydın¹, Fatma Genç¹, Atilla Eroğlu²

¹ Atatürk Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Göğüs Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı, Erzurum
² Atatürk Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Yüksekokulu İç Hastalıkları Hemşireliği Anabilim Dalı, Erzurum

Background: Ingestion of alkaline batteries occurs at an increasing frequency in children. Those that lodge in the esophagus may cause severe complications and even death.

Methods: Seven patients (5 boys, 2 girls; mean age 4.4 years; range 1 to 14 years) who underwent rigid esophagoscopy due to ingestion of an alkaline battery were evaluated.

Results: All the patients presented within the first 24 hours of ingestion. One patient had fever and vomiting. Foreign bodies were observed in the esophagus on direct radiograms, being in the cervical esophagus in two cases, thoracic esophagus in four cases, and distal esophagus in one case. The alkaline batteries were removed via rigid esophagoscopy under general anesthesia. Endoscopic examination showed mucosal erosion in five patients. No complications were encountered within a mean hospital stay of three days (range 1 to 5 days).

Conclusion: Ingestion of alkaline batteries can result in corrosive esophagitis leading to perforation and mediastinitis. Thus, they should be removed via rigid esophagoscopy without delay to prevent these complications.

Keywords : Child; electric power supplies; esophagus/injuries; foreign bodies/therapy

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