Ingested foreign bodies in children
Updates to Article Attributes
Ingested foreign bodies in childrenare common as the world is a curious place to young children, who will put anything and everything into their mouth, and will often inadvertently swallow.
The usual practice is for plain films of the chest/abdomen to identify a foreign body.
Epidemiology
PeakThe peak incidence of foreign body ingestion is between six months and six years 1.
Clinical presentation
Approximately 50% of children will be asymptomatic 2.
Pathology
Coins are the most commonly ingested foreign body 3, along with toys, batteries, bones, and almost anything that can fit into a child's mouth.
Radiographic features
Plain radiograph
Standard radiographic investigation of foreign bodies in children should include plain radiographs of the neck, thorax and entire abdomen 4. In one study ~65% of ingested foreign bodies were radiodense 2.
As a rule of thumb, coins visualised in the sagittal plane (acquired while entering through vocal cords) on anteroposterior radiographs are in the trachea, whereas coins in the oesophagus will have a coronal orientation on frontal chest radiographs.
An important alternative to consider when assessing coin-like objects are button batteries. These are very similar in appearance to coins, but typically have a slight step in profile with an inner ring when viewed en face.
Treatment and prognosis
Most foreign bodies make it into the stomach and beyond with up to 80% passing spontaneously 1. Batteries have a high rate Button batteries can be potentially fatal when in contact with surrounding tissue as they can generate an electric current that will lead to the formation of complication and should be urgently removedsodium hydroxide resulting in severe, potentially fatal mucosal damage 35-7.
See also
-<p><strong>Ingested foreign bodies in children</strong><strong> </strong>are common as the world is a curious place to young children, who will put anything and everything into their mouth, and will often inadvertently swallow. </p><p>The usual practice is for plain films of the chest/abdomen to identify a foreign body.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>Peak incidence of <a href="/articles/foreign-body-1">foreign body</a> ingestion is between six months and six years <sup>1</sup>. </p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Approximately 50% of children will be asymptomatic <sup>2</sup>. </p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>Coins are the most commonly ingested foreign body <sup>3</sup>, along with toys, batteries, bones, and almost anything that can fit into a child's mouth. </p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Plain radiograph</h5><p>Standard radiographic investigation of foreign bodies in children should include plain radiographs of the neck, thorax and entire abdomen <sup>4</sup>. In one study ~65% of ingested foreign bodies were radiodense <sup>2</sup>.</p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>Most foreign bodies make it into the <a href="/articles/stomach">stomach</a> and beyond with up to 80% passing spontaneously <sup>1</sup>. Batteries have a high rate of complication and should be urgently removed <sup>3</sup>. </p><h4>See also</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/airway-foreign-bodies-in-children">airway foreign bodies in children</a></li></ul>- +<p><strong>Ingested foreign bodies in children</strong><strong> </strong>are common as the world is a curious place to young children, who will put anything and everything into their mouth, and will often inadvertently swallow. </p><p>The usual practice is for plain films of the chest/abdomen to identify a foreign body.</p><h4>Epidemiology</h4><p>The peak incidence of <a href="/articles/foreign-body-1">foreign body</a> ingestion is between six months and six years <sup>1</sup>. </p><h4>Clinical presentation</h4><p>Approximately 50% of children will be asymptomatic <sup>2</sup>. </p><h4>Pathology</h4><p>Coins are the most commonly ingested foreign body <sup>3</sup>, along with toys, batteries, bones, and almost anything that can fit into a child's mouth. </p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Plain radiograph</h5><p>Standard radiographic investigation of foreign bodies in children should include plain radiographs of the neck, thorax and entire abdomen <sup>4</sup>. In one study ~65% of ingested foreign bodies were radiodense <sup>2</sup>.</p><p>As a rule of thumb, coins visualised in the sagittal plane (acquired while entering through vocal cords) on anteroposterior radiographs are in the <a href="/articles/trachea">trachea</a>, whereas coins in the <a href="/articles/oesophagus">oesophagus</a> will have a coronal orientation on frontal chest radiographs.</p><p>An important alternative to consider when assessing coin-like objects are button batteries. These are very similar in appearance to coins, but typically have a slight step in profile with an inner ring when viewed en face.</p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p>Most foreign bodies make it into the <a href="/articles/stomach">stomach</a> and beyond with up to 80% passing spontaneously <sup>1</sup>. Button batteries can be potentially fatal when in contact with surrounding tissue as they can generate an electric current that will lead to the formation of sodium hydroxide resulting in severe, potentially fatal mucosal damage <sup>5-7</sup>.</p><h4>See also</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/airway-foreign-bodies-in-children">airway foreign bodies in children</a></li></ul>
References changed:
- 5. Hunter TB, Taljanovic MS. Foreign bodies. Radiographics. 2003;23 (3): 731-57. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1148/rg.233025137">doi:10.1148/rg.233025137</a> - <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12740473">Pubmed citation</a><span class="auto"></span>
- 6. Litovitz T, Whitaker N, Clark L et-al. Emerging battery-ingestion hazard: clinical implications. (2010) Pediatrics. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-3037">doi:10.1542/peds.2009-3037</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20498173">Pubmed</a> <span class="ref_v4"></span>
- 7. Sahn B, Mamula P, Ford CA. Review of foreign body ingestion and esophageal food impaction management in adolescents. (2014) The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.01.022">doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.01.022</a> - <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24686070">Pubmed</a> <span class="ref_v4"></span>
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