Endoscopic removal of entrapped coins from an intraluminal duodenal diverticulum 20 years after ingestion

Screwdriver Aspiration During Oral Procedures: A Lesson for Dentists and Gastroenterologists

This article reports the case of a patient suffering from Alzheimer’s disease who underwent a dental procedure for the peri-implantitis of his dental implants placed some years earlier. Our aim was to describe a misinterpreted accidental foreign body aspiration and its management. Due to an involuntary movement, the patient accidentally ingested a screwdriver, so, although asymptomatic, he was taken to the hospital. Based on the radiographic interpretation, the radiologists diagnosed the presence of the object in the distal esophagus; an esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed but the screwdriver was not found. Subsequently, a computed tomography (CT) scan was performed which placed the foreign body in the airways and it was successfully removed by bronchoscopy. Patients with dementia need additional care during dental procedures because of the increased risk of ingestion and/or aspiration. We demonstrated how important it is, even without any symptoms, the need to be vigilant in seeking out urgent care as soon as possible.

Esophageal Foreign Bodies and Obstruction in the Emergency Department Setting: An Evidence-Based Review

BACKGROUND

Patients with esophageal foreign bodies or food bolus impaction may present to the emergency department with symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to severe distress. There is a dearth of emergency medicine-focused literature concerning these conditions.

OBJECTIVE OF THE REVIEW

This narrative review provides evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with esophageal foreign bodies and food bolus impactions.

DISCUSSION

Esophageal foreign bodies and food bolus impaction are common but typically pass spontaneously; however, complete obstruction can lead to inability to tolerate secretions, airway compromise, and death. Pediatric patients are the most common population affected, while in adults, edentulous patients are at greatest risk. Foreign body obstruction and food bolus impaction typically occur at sites of narrowing due to underlying esophageal pathology. Diagnosis is based on history and examination, with most patients presenting with choking/gagging, vomiting, and dysphagia/odynophagia. The preferred test is a plain chest radiograph, although this is not required if the clinician suspects non-bony food bolus with no suspicion of perforation. Computed tomography is recommended if radiograph is limited or there are concerns for perforation. Management requires initial assessment of the patient's airway. Medications evaluated include effervescent agents, glucagon, calcium channel blockers, benzodiazepines, nitrates, and others, but their efficacy is poor. Before administration, shared decision making with the patient is recommended. Endoscopy is the intervention of choice, and medications should not delay endoscopy. Early endoscopy for complete obstruction is associated with improved outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides evidence-based recommendations concerning these conditions, focusing on evaluation and management.

Ingestion of nine metallic nails with corrosive: what happened next?

A 20-year-old woman was brought to the surgery emergency department with the complaint of epigastric pain since 1 day following ingestion of multiple metallic nails with a cup full of toilet cleaner (corrosive acid) with a suicidal intention. Physical examination was essentially unremarkable, and the abdomen showed no signs of perforation peritonitis. X-rays of the abdomen showed multiple 'nail'-like radiopaque shadows in the abdominal cavity with no evidence of free gas under the domes of the diaphragm. A non-operative expectant management was pursued. The patient had passed all the sharps in stools without any complication and was discharged after 12 days. After 3 weeks, the patient presented with non-bilious vomiting. Further investigations revealed pyloric stenosis with no oesophageal luminal stenosis. To bypass the pyloric stenosis, a Billroth II gastrojejunostomy was performed. The postoperative period was uneventful, and the recovery was smooth.

Pancreatic and biliary obstruction years after retention of a swallowed coin in a duodenal diverticulum: a case report

Introduction

Congenital duodenal diverticula are a rare anomaly. The discovery of one in association with an ingested foreign body has only been reported on one previous occasion. In this challenging presentation, the presence of the coin led to the correct diagnosis. Patients with congenital duodenal anomalies may present a number of associated abnormalities. Interestingly, after the discovery of his intraluminal duodenal diverticulum, we searched and found that our patient presented a number of associated pathologies, as described in the literature.

Case presentation

Our patient was a 36-year-old man, Caucasian, a kidney transplant recipient who presented with abdominal pain, vomiting and fever after an episode of pancreatitis. Because of a history of behavioral problems associated with intellectual impairment, including a compulsion to swallow coins during childhood, an abdominal radiograph was performed. Surprisingly, the radiograph revealed a radiopaque shadow in the central abdominal area. The findings of the ultrasound examination and computed tomography scan were suggestive of dilated biliary and pancreatic ducts. We performed an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, which led to confirmation of the suspected coin above an obstructing intraluminal duodenal diverticulum with associated biliary ductal dilation. Upon retrieval of the coin, it was found to be a 1975 copper two-cent piece out of circulation in Australia for a large number of years.

Conclusions

Foreign body retention in the gastrointestinal tract in an adult could be a sign of underlying mechanical pathology. Intraluminal duodenal diverticulitis can have a varied presentation, including life-threatening complications. Awareness should be raised of the conditions associated with congenital duodenal anomalies in adults, including renal, hepatobiliary and cardiac defects, many of which were present in our case.

Endoscopic management of suspected esophageal foreign body in adults

Foreign bodies should not be allowed to remain in the esophagus beyond 24 hours after presentation. However, some patients with esophageal foreign body ingestion do not come to the hospital immediately and may delay medical intervention from the time of ingestion. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of adults with suspected esophageal foreign body ingestion according to the time of ingestion and types of foreign bodies. A total of 326 adult patients (151 men and 175 women) were analyzed, and divided into two groups according to the time period: within or beyond 24 hours from ingestion to endoscopic intervention. A total of 172 patients (52.7%) were found to have ingested foreign bodies; 73.5% were removed smoothly, 10.3% were treated by push technique and 16.0% with failed retrieval received alternative treatments. A higher proportion of patients in the beyond-24 hours group suffered from odynophagia (25.9 vs. 12.9%, P < 0.05). Negative identification of esophageal foreign bodies was more frequent in the beyond-24 hours group (67 vs. 40.2%, P < 0.05), but these patients showed higher proportions of esophageal ulcers (21.1 vs. 7.2%, P < 0.05). The beyond-24 hours group also showed a significantly higher rate of foreign bodies in the lower esophagus (40.0 vs. 15.3%, P < 0.05). Patients with esophageal food bolus impaction had significant delayed endoscopic intervention, longer therapeutic endoscopic time, higher proportions of esophageal cancer, stricture and fewer complications. Endoscopic intervention within 24 hours from the time of ingestion should be considered early in adults, because delaying intervention may produce more symptomatic esophageal ulcerations with odynophagia.

Endoscopic removal of multiple duodenum foreign bodies: An unusual occurrence

Deliberate single foreign body ingestion is a scenario that many gastroenterologists commonly see in psychiatric units and prisons. However, multiple foreign body ingestions, especially located in the duodenum, provide the endoscopist with unique challenges for management and treatment. Although most foreign objects pass spontaneously, one should have a low threshold of intervention for multiple objects, especially those that are wide, sharp and at risk of perforation. Diagnosis is typically made when there is a history of ingestion coupled with corresponding radiographic verification. The symptoms tend to be non-specific although some patients are able to delineate where the discomfort level is, correlating with the site of impaction. Most foreign bodies pass spontaneously; however when multiple sharp objects are ingested, the gastroenterologist should perform endoscopic procedures to minimize the risks of bowel perforation. We describe here a successful case of multiple ingested foreign bodies retrieved across the C-loop of the duodenum and the pharynges-esophageal curve via endoscopy and review the literature of multiple foreign body ingestion.

Esophageal foreign body aspiration presenting as asthma in the pediatric patient

This report describes three cases of foreign body ingestion incorrectly diagnosed as asthma and/or upper respiratory tract infection. These cases demonstrate the need for further clinical investigations in any child who does not improve with adequate therapy. Many of our patients had symptoms of asthma and/or respiratory tract infection for at least 1 month before correct diagnosis.

Guideline for the management of ingested foreign bodies

This is one of a series of statements discussing the utilization of gastrointestinal endoscopy in common clinical situations. The Standards of Practice Committee of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy prepared this text. In preparing this guideline, a MEDLINE literature search was performed, and additional references were obtained from the bibliographies of the identified articles and from recommendations of expert consultants. When little or no data exist from well-designed prospective trials, emphasis is given to results from large series and reports from recognized experts. Guidelines for appropriate utilization of endoscopy are based on a critical review of the available data and expert consensus. Further controlled clinical studies are needed to clarify aspects of this statement, and revision may be necessary as new data appear. Clinical consideration may justify a course of action at variance to these recommendations.

Guideline for the management of ingested foreign bodies. American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

This guideline is intended to aid the endoscopist in the management of adult patients with possible foreign object ingestion and/or food bolus impaction. A literature search was performed on the Medline using Medlars II, the National Library of Medicine's National Interactive Retrieval Service. This search generated 181 citations. References chosen for review were English-language citations from the gastroenterology, otolarygology, general surgical, and radiological literature. As little or no data exist from well-designed prospective trials, emphasis was given to results from large series, and reports from recognized experts. In preparing this guideline several drafts were distributed to the members of the ASGE Standards of Practice Committee, to the practice committees of the AGA, ACG, and SAGES, and to national experts on this subject for critical review. A final draft was then reviewed by the ASGE Governing Board. The final guideline reflects the input from this review process.

Management of ingested foreign objects and food bolus impactions

This review article is intended to aid the clinician in the evaluation and management of older children and adult patients with possible foreign object ingestion and/or food bolus impaction. A literature search was performed in June 1993 on the Medline using Medlars II, the National Library of Medicine's National Interactive Retrieval Service. This search generated 181 citations. References chosen for review were English-language citations from the gastroenterology, otolaryngology, general surgical, and radiological literature. As little or no data exist from well-designed prospective trials, emphasis was given to results from large series. In preparing this manuscript several drafts were distributed to the members of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Standards of Practice Committee, and to national experts on the subject for critical review.