Pediatric Foreign Body Ingestion: Analysis of Patient Characteristics and Surgical Treatment

Abstract

Highlights: What are the main findings? Surgical treatment was more frequently required in cases involving multiple FB ingestion, unwitnessed ingestion, and symptomatic presentation Magnets and water beads beyond the stomach were strongly associated with the need for surgical intervention What is the implication of the main finding? The findings may assist pediatric surgeons in identifying high-risk patients and making timely decisions regarding surgical management Preventive measures, including caregiver education and public awareness, are crucial to reduce the incidence of hazardous FB ingestion in children Background/Objectives: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common occurrence in children. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients hospitalized in the pediatric surgery department for FB ingestion and those requiring surgical treatment. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed pediatric patients admitted to the department of pediatric surgery at a single center for FB ingestion from June 2018 to September 2023. Overall, 35 patients were included. Results: The median age was 25.0 months (range: 7–204 months), with male predominance. Forty percent (14/35) of patients presented with symptoms at admission, including abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever; ingestion was unwitnessed in 42.9%. The median number of ingested FBs was 2.0 (range: 1–25), with magnets being the most common type (51.4%). Surgery was required in 51.4% of cases due to complications or impaction. These cases showed significantly higher symptomatic presentation rates (72.2% vs. 5.9%, p < 0.01), unwitnessed ingestion (66.7 vs. 17.6%, p = 0.006), and more ingested FBs (median 5.0 vs. 1.0, p = 0.001). Magnet ingestion was more frequent in these patients. Conclusions: FB ingestion predominantly affects young male children. Magnet ingestion frequently requires surgical intervention, underscoring the importance of preventive measures and safer environments. Surgical treatment should be considered in patients with symptomatic presentation, multiple ingested objects, or an uncertain ingestion history.