Approach to pediatric esophageal foreign body ingestion: An experience of 117 cases in a tertiary care center

Background: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a frequent home accident in the pediatric population and is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children. We aimed to describe the problem of pediatric esophageal FB ingestion at King Abdulaziz University Hospital over 10 years regarding patient, visit, and management characteristics and identify the pediatric specialty team that was called first to the emergency department in such cases. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 117 pediatric patients admitted for esophageal FB ingestion in a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia from 2011 to 2020. We used Chi-squared and one-way analysis of variance tests to determine the associations. Data on demographic and clinical variables were compared between patients with and without neurodevelopmental disabilities, and their associations were assessed. Results: The mean age of patients was 4.7 ± 3.7 years, with slightly higher rates in males (57.3%). Six patients (5.1%) had a history of preexisting esophageal conditions, and five (4.3%) had previous FB ingestion. The most commonly ingested item was a coin (n = 53) and was mostly located in the upper esophagus (n = 56). Gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms occurred in 78 and 29 patients, respectively. The Otolaryngology Department contributed the highest number of admissions (63.8%). Conclusion: FB ingestion is common in Saudi Arabian preschoolers. These data indicate the need for caregivers to be educated about FB ingestion. Additional investigations should emphasize addressing the consequences of FB ingestion.