Foreign Bodies in the Gastrointestinal Tract

An unusual cause of small bowel perforation: apricot pit

“…[6,[8][9][10][11][12] Although most of the sharppointed objects entering the stomach will pass through the remaining gastrointestinal tract without incident, the risk of complication caused by a sharp-pointed object is as high as 35%. [13] Sharp, pointed foreign bodies often cause perforations in the gastrointestinal tract; endoscopic removal is advisable if they are within the reach of available endoscopes. [14] With advances in endoscopic techniques, foreign bodies can be extracted safely in these patients.…”

“…The majority of foreign body ingestions occur in the pediatric population, and children most often ingest toys, coins, safety pins, and ballpoint pen caps, [15] whereas adults prevalently tend to have problems with meat and bones. [13] Normal physical examination findings and absence of symptoms in children do not eliminate the possibility of foreign body ingestion especially in the presence of positive history. [15] After 14 days, the fistula of the patient resolved with administration of gastrointestinal decompression, total parenteral nutrition and intravenous somatostatin infusion.…”

Endoscopic management of ingested foreign bodies in children: A retrospective review of cases, and review of the literature

“…Other diagnostic methods such as ultrasonography and computerized tomography may also be helpful for diagnosing ingested non-radiopaque FBs [17,18].…”

“…Batteries may cause injury by several mechanisms: 1) electrical discharge with hydrolysis and the creation of hydroxide ions in adjacent tissues causing mucosal burns, 2) necrosis due to direct pressure, 3) caustic injury due to alkalis (sodium or potassium hydroxide), and 4) mercury toxicity [26,27]. Esophageal necrosis, perforation, and death have been reported after button battery ingestion [17,26,28]. Although a large study found that mercury toxicity is rare [29], some batteries contain 5 g of mercuric oxide, which is a lethal dose.…”

“…Sharp and elongated FBs are responsible for 15% -35% of perforations following FB ingestion and carry a significant risk of morbidity and mortality [17,[35][36][37]. Per-foration is more likely with certain objects such as toothpicks, bones, razors, and long straight pins [38,39].…”