Acute mechanical intestinal obstruction due to foreign body ingestion

Abstract

Introduction: Foreign body ingestion usually occurs accidentally and is a common condition in childhood, but it is rarely seen in adults and is frequently encountered in people with mental retardation and psychiatric disease. The outcome is usually defecation of the ingested materials but rarely requires surgical intervention.Case Report: A 33-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency department with the complaint of constipation as a result of swallowing about 1000 plastic buttons yesterday. His acute mechanical intestinal obstruction was alleviated with conservative treatment and the patient discharged with recommendations. Conclusion:The number, shape, size, and time of ingestion determine the mode of treatment. There are three main principles in treatment. Endoscopic retraction, conservative follow-up and surgical intervention. Also, tomography should be considered as an option for foreign bodies that can not be visualized with direct radiography.

CT Evaluation of Swallowed Foreign Bodies Located in the Gastrointestinal System

“…Foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract are most frequently observed in the esophagus and stomach. Foreign bodies are frequently seen in the lower gastrointestinal tract at the level of the ileum, where the lumen is relatively narrow [6,7,[11][12][13]. In our study, foreign bodies were most frequently observed in the ileum, duodenum, and stomach, which is compatible with the findings in the literature.…”

“…Ingested foreign bodies are frequently excreted naturally from the gastrointestinal tract without any complications [1,[12][13][14][15]. However, some complications may occur depending on the type of the foreign body, its characteristics (pointed, blunt tip), removal duration, and the number of objects.…”