Abstract
Background
Over the last years the ingestion of disk batteries has become frequent in children
with serious consequences. The severity of injuries is related to the growing use
of new lithium batteries that may cause catastrophic damages when lodged in the oesophagus.
Methods
The notes of three consecutive children with lithium batteries lodged in the oesophagus,
admitted to our Institute from 2010 to 2014, were reviewed. Clinical presentation,
management, and outcome were considered.
Results
The first child, a 22-month-old girl, died of a sudden exsanguination due to an aorto-oesophageal
fistula. The second case, a 5-year-old boy, had an exploratory thoracotomy to exclude
aortic lesion before battery removal, and a spontaneous oesophageal perforation. The
third child, a 18-month-old boy, fully recovered after suffering ulcerative oesophageal
burns.
Conclusion
Lithium battery lodged in the oesophagus is a paediatric emergency requiring a multidisciplinary
approach that can be implemented in a tertiary children's hospital.
Keywords
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References
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 17, 2015
Accepted:
July 26,
2015
Received:
March 20,
2015
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
