Foreign Body Ingestion, an Important Cause of Mortality and Morbidity

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion (FBI) is a common clinical condition, especially in childhood age groups. The aim of this study was to analyze and discuss 118 articles related to FBI, to determine the clinical approaches used in FBI, and to emphasize the importance of subject. The data of this study were compiled through a search of the Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics, Philadelphia, PA, USA). "Foreign body ingestion" was the search term used to select relevant article titles from all years available. The analysis of 118 articles included the publishing journal, the medical specialty of the research, the country of origin, the institution that performed the study, and the date of publication. Pediatric and surgical studies were most common, numbering 37 (31.3%) and 25 (21.1%), in the respective fields of research. The greatest portion of articles, 39 (33%), was published in the United States of America, and the greatest quantity of articles was published in 2005. The mean age of the patient presenting with FBI was 3.1-5 years. FBI can cause asphyxia and mortality in situations affecting the aerodigestive tract. Conservative treatment was the most common approach used; however, at times endoscopy or surgical intervention is required. FBI should be kept in mind, particularly for pediatric patients, when there are complaints of shortness of breath, abdominal pain, and vomiting.