Foreign body ingestion

Foreign body ingestion is a common clinical problem. Those at increased risk include children, older people, people who have an intellectual disability, patients with psychiatric pathologies, prisoners/inmates, and those with underlying gastrointestinal (GI) mechanical obstruction.

Most ingested foreign bodies will pass through the GI tract without symptoms and cause only minor mucosal injury. However, 10% to 20% of cases will require some kind of non-operative intervention, and 1% or less of cases may develop complications (e.g., bowel obstruction, perforation, severe haemorrhage, abscess formation, or septicaemia) and require further surgical interventions.

Despite the technical challenge, fibre-optic endoscopy is considered the first line of intervention for removal of foreign bodies. It is also considered the safest and most reliable method of diagnosis and treatment of GI foreign bodies.

Other non-operative techniques for foreign body removal include: rigid endoscopy, Foley catheters, and oesophageal bougienage. Laparoscopic or open surgery is the last resort when other techniques have failed.

An ingested foreign body is any object (including food) originating outside the body and ingested into the mouth and through the gastrointestinal tract.