Management of children who have swallowed button batteries

Abstract

Small foreign bodies that are swallowed generally pass down the gut without any problem. Passage usually takes two to six days but may not uncommonly take two to four weeks. Most foreign bodies that cause trouble do so in the oesophagus. Button batteries are no exception. Reports of alarming and inappropriate surgical intervention have prompted this annotation. The term 'battery' implies a number of power cells connected together in series, as in a car battery, and is used incorrectly in the title of this article. The button battery is a single cell and is used to power hearing aids, photographic equipment, digital watches, and hand held calculators. Although these cells are sealed, they contain corrosive and toxic chemicals. Lodgement in the oesophagus can lead to mucosal damage, and exposure to gastric acid is associated with a remote risk of leakage of the cell contents; hence the concern about children who have swallowed a button cell. The right management is described.