Managing Button Battery and Other Foreign Body Ingestions

Kids are notorious for exploring small objects and putting them up their nose, in their ear or swallowing them. Some ingestions like button batteries and small, BB-sized magnets are potentially life-threatening for children and adolescents. Catastrophic and fatal injuries can occur if the object gets lodged in the esophagus, where injury can extend beyond the esophagus to the trachea or aorta.

Listen to a pediatric gastroenterologist discuss button batteries and other foreign body ingestions

In this episode, we are going to turn the mic on host, David Brumbaugh, MD, to look at the presentation and treatment of ingested foreign objects and the anticipatory guidance primary care providers can give to their patients and families.

Dr. Brumbaugh is a pediatric gastroenterologist and Chief Medical Officer at Children’s Hospital Colorado and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

In this episode, our experts discuss:

• What makes button battery ingestions so dangerous
• The most common age group for button battery ingestions
• How often button batteries get stuck in the esophagus
• Clinical presentation of button battery ingestions
• Treatment of children with confirmed button battery ingestion, including pre-hospital approach to limit injury caused by batteries
• Injuries caused by ingestion of BB-sized magnets, presentation and treatment
• The most common foreign body ingestions, such as coins, detergent pods and toys
• The health effects of detergent pod ingestion

Treatment of button battery and other foreign body ingestions at Children’s Colorado

The General Gastroenterology Program within the Digestive Health Institute combines expertise in pediatric gastroenterology with advanced diagnostic and therapeutic technologies to provide outstanding care of children with digestive problems. Our multidisciplinary team strives to deliver family-centered care and includes dedicated physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, dietitians and social workers.