Abstract
Ingestion of corrosives with accidental or suicidal intent is a common problem in Sri Lanka. Management options and outcomes of corrosive injuries on stomach are not well documented in our setting. The clinical presentation, complications and management outcomes of nine patients with corrosive injury to stomach are presented. Gastric outlet obstruction seen in majority, was managed with bypass procedure (n=5) or resection (n=4). The outcomes of management were successful with both methods.
Highlights
Corrosive substances either ingested accidentally or with the intent of suicide cause devastating injuries to the upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) and presents as a major management problem to the clinician
Unlike in the West where most of these injuries are due to alkali, severe upper GI injuries due to acids are seen in countries like Sri Lanka, India, and Turkey [1,2,3,4]
The relative resistance of the squamous epithelium of the oesophageal mucosa to acids and rapid transit through oesophagus to stomach with minimal contact time of acids with oesophageal mucosa reducing the degree of oesophageal injury is one such theory [1]
Summary
Corrosive substances either ingested accidentally or with the intent of suicide cause devastating injuries to the upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) and presents as a major management problem to the clinician. Unlike in the West where most of these injuries are due to alkali, severe upper GI injuries due to acids are seen in countries like Sri Lanka, India, and Turkey [1,2,3,4]. Further the reflex pylorospasms caused by acids delay gastric empyting, further aggravating the degree of acid burn [1] This theory is supported by the fact that almost all living survivors of gastric acid injuries develop gastric outlet obstruction due to severe antro-pyloric scarring, sometimes with minimal or no injury to the proximal stomach
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have