Button Battery Foreign Bodies in Children: Hazards, Management, and Recommendations

Mohammed Hossam Thabet,Waleed Mohamed Basha,Sherif Askar

doi:10.1155/2013/846091

Mohammed Hossam Thabet, Waleed Mohamed Basha + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/846091

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Abstract

Objective. The demand and usage of button batteries have risen. They are frequently inadvertently placed by children in their ears or noses and occasionally are swallowed and lodged along the upper aerodigestive tract. The purpose of this work is to study the different presentations of button battery foreign bodies and present our experience in the diagnosis and management of this hazardous problem in children. Patients and Methods. This study included 13 patients. The diagnostic protocol was comprised of a thorough history, head and neck physical examination, and appropriate radiographic evaluation. The button batteries were emergently extracted under general anesthesia. Results. The average follow-up period was 4.3 months. Five patients had a nasal button battery. Four patients had an esophageal button battery. Three patients had a button battery in the stomach. One patient had a button battery impacted in the left external ear canal. Apart from a nasal septal perforation and a tympanic membrane perforation, no major complications were detected. Conclusion. Early detection is the key in the management of button battery foreign bodies. They have a distinctive appearance on radiography, and its prompt removal is mandatory, especially for batteries lodged in the esophagus. Physicians must recognize the hazardous potential and serious implications of such an accident. There is a need for more public education about this serious problem.

Highlights

The use of small button batteries can be attributed to the advent as well as the reduction in size of many technological devices
This study was conducted on 13 patients with accidental button battery foreign body ingestion or impaction in different locations
One patient had a button battery impacted in the left external ear canal (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

The use of small button batteries can be attributed to the advent as well as the reduction in size of many technological devices. Button batteries are increasingly used in devices such as hearing aids, electronic games, watches, digital planners, and new electronic gadgets. Their smooth and shiny appearance makes them quite attractive and interesting to children who eagerly handle them when they are accessible [1]. Button battery foreign bodies may have a fatal outcome [2, 3]. They may result in little to no ill effect on the child [4]. The clinical course of a child with a button battery depends on several factors, including the location, duration of mucosal or skin exposure, remaining voltage in the battery, and chemical composition of the battery [1]

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