One of the most common locations for a foreign body is the

alimentary tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

. It is possible for foreign bodies to enter the from the mouth, or from the rectum. The objects most commonly swallowed by children are

coin A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...

s. Meat impaction, resulting in esophageal food bolus obstruction is more common in adults. Swallowed objects are more likely to lodge in the

esophagus The esophagus ( American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to ...

stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...

than in the

pharynx The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its st ...

or duodenum.

Diagnosis

If the person who swallowed the foreign body is doing well, usually an

x-ray An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...

image will be taken which will show any metal objects, and this will be repeated a few days later to confirm that the object has passed all the way through the digestive system. Also it needs to be confirmed that the object is not stuck in the airways, in the bronchial tree. Image:Bolletjes.jpg, Abdominal X-ray showing small packages of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...

swallowed by a trafficker. Image:CAVibrator.jpg, Vibrator stuck in the rectum can be seen on this abdominal X-ray. File:Coin esophagus.jpg, Chest radiograph showing a Venezuelan 25 cent coin lodged in the upper

of a 9-year-old girl. File:CoinAP.jpg, A coin seen on AP CXR in the esophagus File:CoinL.jpg, A coin seen on lateral CXR in the esophagus File:Fischgräte verschluckt.jpg, Fishbone pierced in the upper esophagus.Left image during swallowing contrast medium, right image after swallow only dimly visible.

Treatment

Most objects that are swallowed will, if they have passed the

, pass all the way through the gastrointestinal tract unaided. However, sometimes an object becomes arrested (usually in the terminal

ileum The ileum () is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine m ...

or the rectum) or a sharp object penetrates the

bowel The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

wall. If the foreign body causes problems like pain, vomiting or bleeding it must be removed. Swallowed batteries can be associated with additional damage, with mercury poisoning (from mercury batteries) and lead poisoning (from lead batteries) presenting important risks. While swallowed coins typically traverse the alimentary tract without further incident, care must be taken to monitor patients, as reaction of the metals in the coin with gastric acid and other digestive juices may produce various toxic compounds if the coin remains within the alimentary tract for a prolonged period of time. Endoscopic foreign body retrieval is the first-line treatment for removal of a foreign body from the alimentary tract. Glucagon has been used to treat esophageal foreign bodies, with the intent that it relaxes the smooth muscle of the lower esophageal spincter to allow the foreign body to pass into the stomach. However, evidence does not support a benefit of treatment with glucagon, and its use may result in side effects.

References

External links

{{Foreign bodies, burns, corrosion, and frostbite Pediatrics Gastrointestinal tract disorders

Alimentary tract The gastrointestinal tract (GI tract, digestive tract, alimentary canal) is the tract or passageway of the digestive system that leads from the mouth to the anus. The GI tract contains all the major organs of the digestive system, in humans and ...

Diagnosis

Treatment

See also

References

External links