Foreign bodies of the gastrointestinal tract in children: a retrospective analysis of medical cases

Abstract

   Foreign bodies of the gastrointestinal tract in children are a fairly common reason for seeking help in surgical departments.

   Purpose. The study aims at identifying dependencies between the type of foreign bodies, the tactics of their detection and removal in different age periods.

   Material and methods. Retrospective analysis of 100 case histories of patients with a diagnosis of «Foreign body of the gastrointestinal tract”; 64 boys included.

   Results. Preschool children were more often diagnosed with «Foreign body of the gastrointestinal tract.» The children rarely complained. The most commonly used diagnostic method is overview radiography, and the method of extracting a foreign body is endoscopy. The most frequent finds were coins. Magnetic balls and batteries led to injury of the organ where they were located.

   Conclusion. When contacting a medical and preventive institution in the first hours after swallowing the object, the risk of complications is minimal. If the foreign body is a magnetic ball, magnet, or battery, the presence of which is associated with high risks of complications, it is necessary to remove them from the body as soon as possible.