Abstract

Introduction: Esophageal foreign body (EFB) is one of the most common causes of emergency admission in children and is a public health problem. 75% of EFBs are seen in children younger than 5 years old. We aimed to present the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients treated for EFBs in our department.

Material and Methods: The files of 113 patients who were treated for EFB in our clinic between April 2018 and April 2022 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 3 groups as 0-5 years old, 5-10 years old and 10-17 years old. The age, gender, type of foreign body, level of the esophagus, the procedure performed, complications and additional diseases of the patients were evaluated.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 4.28±3.05 (min:3 months, max:17 years) and the malefemale ratio was 1.4. Of the patients, 62.8% were aged under 5 years. Although most of the patients were asymptomatic, the most common symptom was hypersalivation. Ingested foreign body was a metallic coin in 76 patients. There was a significant difference between the types of swallowed foreign bodies among the groups (p=0.009). Of the esophageal foreign bodies, 67.2% were detected in the first constriction of the esophagus, and 99.12% of the EFBs were successfully removed.

Conclusion: If EFB in children is not diagnosed and treated on time, it can be life-threatening clinical condition. Most EFBs in esophageal first anatomical narrowing can be removed with Magill forceps, and foreign bodies that are lodged more distally can safely be removed via rigid esophagoscopy. Especially those families whose children have esophageal diseases such as esophageal atresia repair or a corrosive esophagitis sequelae, should be warned against a foreign body ingestion.

Cite as: Osman Hakan Kocaman, Mehmet Çakmak, Tansel Günendi, Saime Shermatova, Mustafa Erman Dörterler, Mehmet Emin Boleken. Esophageal Foreign Bodies in Children. Coc Cer Derg /Turkish J Ped Surg 2022;36(2): 44-49. doi: 10.29228/JTAPS.62807