Emergency endoscopic management of dietary foreign bodies in the esophagus

ObjectiveWe report our experience of endoscopy in the emergency management of dietary foreign bodies.MethodsOne hundred thirty-six patients were admitted to the emergency department (ED) between January 1997 and October 2006 for the endoscopic removal of esophageal dietary foreign bodies. They had a mean age of 47.7 years, and 91 (67%) were women.ResultsMost of the ingested materials (98.5%) were successfully extracted using either flexible or rigid endoscope. The objects most frequently ingested were fish bones (48%) and chicken bones (46%). Most of the objects (84%) were lodged in the upper esophagus. Two patients with irretrievable foreign bodies or complicated perforations were taken to surgery.ConclusionBecause most of these foreign bodies lodged in the upper esophagus, physicians should take care of this area to avoid secondary injury or complications, especially with sharp bones.