Foreign Body Ingestion in Children: Distribution and Complications in a Tertiary Center of Pediatrics

Background: Foreign body ingestion is a common event in pediatric population. Children swallow different object including, coins, toys, batteries, etc. Most instances of foreign body ingestion are uncomplicated and the foreign body is excreted spontaneously. In some cases, the foreign body is lodged in the gastrointestinal tract and leads to complications. This study investigated the distribution of foreign body ingestion, and associated complications in a tertiary center of pediatrics. Methods: In this retrospective study, electronic records of patients with diagnosis of foreign body ingestion in two consecutive years in a tertiary center were reviewed. The associated data were extracted and analyzed. Results: 1125 cases were identified. 633(56.3%) patients were male. Median age was 3.7 years. The most common swallowed objects were batteries, followed by coins, and sharp objects. The most common location of foreign body was the esophagus. The median time interval between ingestion and presentation was 4 hr. In patients with disk battery ingestion, there was a significant statistical relationship between time interval and presence of complications. Most patients (84.4%) needed no intervention. 14.9% were managed by a non-surgical intervention, and 0.6% needed surgery. No mortalities were recorded. Two cases of peritonitis were documented, following ingestion of magnets. Eight cases of esophageal burn, and one case of mediastinitis were documented following disk battery ingestion. Conclusion: Foreign body ingestion is a common occurrence in children under 5 years of age. In this study, batteries were the most common swallowed objects. Most serious complications were following batteries, or magnet ingestion. Preventive measures focusing on batteries and high-powered magnets could decrease the incidence of these complications.