A Comprehensive Study of Foreign Body Lodgment in Digestive Passage in MGMGH, Trichy

Abstract

Introduction: Foreign body (FB) among children is vital for clinicians to have a timely diagnosis and effective management. The study aimed to describe the profile and management of foreign body ingestion among children presenting to a tertiary care hospital Material and methods: The study was a prospective observational study, conducted in the department of ENT of MGMGH, Trichy, a tertiary care teaching hospital in south India. All the FB ingestion cases among children aged 1 to 15 years were included. The type of FB, clinical presentation, level of lodgment, management etc. were analyzed. Mean and standard deviation was used to summarize quantitative variables and frequency and proportion to summarize categorical variables. Results: Majority (86%) of cases were aged less than 10 years. Males were slightly higher than females (56% Vs 44%). Most common foreign body ingested was Coin 38 (76%) of cases, followed by safety pin and plastic objects. Majority (70%) of foreign bodies lodged in cricopharynx and 30% in proximal esophagus. Among boys, 71.43% of the FBs were found in cricopharynx and 68.18% of the girls had FB in cricopharynx. The only type of foreign body found in cricopharynx was coin. All the FBs in cricopharynx were managed by direct laryngoscopy. Out of the 15 foreign bodies in proximal esophagus, 80% were managed by esophagoscopy and 20% by direct laryngoscopy. Conclusion: FB ingestion Strategies regarding safe behaviors have a key role in prevention of injuries due to FB and must be strictly implemented.