Miniature disc battery in the nose: a dangerous foreign body

An Asymptomatic Foreign Body in the Nose in an Eighteen-Year-Old Patient: Button Battery

Foreign bodies lodged in the upper airway are a common occurrence in children. Many unusual foreign bodies in the nose have been reported as foreign bodies like nuts, plastic toy parts, beads, and so forth. Most of these produce minimal morbidity but button batteries due to their early chemical disintegration require early surgical intervention. Here, we report a case of button battery lodged in the nose for several years with a symptom of nasal obstruction and chronic sinusitis.

Button battery foreign bodies in children: hazards, management, and recommendations

OBJECTIVE

The demand and usage of button batteries have risen. They are frequently inadvertently placed by children in their ears or noses and occasionally are swallowed and lodged along the upper aerodigestive tract. The purpose of this work is to study the different presentations of button battery foreign bodies and present our experience in the diagnosis and management of this hazardous problem in children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study included 13 patients. The diagnostic protocol was comprised of a thorough history, head and neck physical examination, and appropriate radiographic evaluation. The button batteries were emergently extracted under general anesthesia.

RESULTS

The average follow-up period was 4.3 months. Five patients had a nasal button battery. Four patients had an esophageal button battery. Three patients had a button battery in the stomach. One patient had a button battery impacted in the left external ear canal. Apart from a nasal septal perforation and a tympanic membrane perforation, no major complications were detected.

CONCLUSION

Early detection is the key in the management of button battery foreign bodies. They have a distinctive appearance on radiography, and its prompt removal is mandatory, especially for batteries lodged in the esophagus. Physicians must recognize the hazardous potential and serious implications of such an accident. There is a need for more public education about this serious problem.

Critical procedures in pediatric emergency medicine

Children comprise approximately one-quarter of all visits to most emergency departments. Children are generally healthier than adults, yet there are similar priorities in assessment and management of pediatric patients. The initial approach to airway, breathing, and circulation still applies and is first and foremost in the evaluation of young infants and children. There are certain anatomic, physiologic, developmental, and social considerations that are unique to this population and must be taken into account during their evaluation and treatment. In this review, we present and discuss an evidence-based approach to high-yield procedures necessary for all emergency physicians taking care of children.