Abstract
AS THE use of small, flat, disk batteries as energy sources for cameras and other electronic devices has increased, the incidence of reported cases of ingested disk batteries has also increased. Although clinical experience would seem to indicate that in the majority of these cases the battery is eventually passed through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract without incident, in a few patients the battery has been known to leak in the GI tract and result in a serious toxic reaction. We report the case of a child who absorbed mercury from a swallowed disk battery that opened in the large bowel and released mercuric oxide. Report of a Case An 18-month-old girl was suspected of having ingested a brand-new mercury photo battery when the opened package was found. Two hours after the battery was noticed to be missing, an abdominal roentgenogram was obtained, which demonstrated the intact battery in the child's
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