Foreign Body Ingestion among Children of Northern Sarawak: A Retrospective Single Centre Experience

Authors

  • Shunxing Teh
  • Karthigesu Aimanan
  • Pardheebarajan Gokilavanan
  • Andrew Hun Meng Quah
  • Khairunnisa Che Ghazali
  • Ahmad Junaidi Ahmad Hamidi
  • Aisah Munirah Wahi
  • Firdaus Hayati

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51200/bjms.v16i3.3676

Keywords:

children, endoscopy, foreign body, ingestion

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion (FBI) is a common problem among children around the world. The management modality may differ according to the materials and clinical presentation. This study aims to assess the clinical, endoscopic, and therapeutic aspects of this FBI among children in a district hospital in northern Sarawak. A single-centre retrospective study was conducted for FBI in children of northern Sarawak from January 2018 until April 2020. A total number of 36 children were admitted during the 28 months duration with a 19:17 ratio of male:female. The children were between the age of 8 months and 10 years old with a median age of 4 ± 0.3 yrs. Coins (52%), fish bones (11%), and batteries (5%) were the most commonly ingested objects. The clinical features included asymptomatic presentation (47%), vomiting (36%), throat pain (8%), and choking sensation (8%). Routine radiological examination ensured the discovery of the FBI in 88% of the cases. Among the 36 children admitted, 19 (52%) children were managed conservatively while 17 (47%) children required endoscopic removal of foreign bodies without operative management. The length of stay in the hospital ranges from 1 day to 9 days (mean 2.52 days). FBI in children is more common at a younger age. Clinical findings depend on the shape of the ingested materials, the patient’s age, and the time of referral as they mostly could be managed conservatively. Upon failure of a conservative approach, a safe and uncomplicated removal should be performed.

Author Biographies

Shunxing Teh

Department of Surgery,
Miri General Hospital,
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Karthigesu Aimanan

Department of Surgery,
Miri General Hospital,
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Pardheebarajan Gokilavanan

Department of Surgery,
Miri General Hospital,
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Andrew Hun Meng Quah

Department of Surgery,
Miri General Hospital,
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Khairunnisa Che Ghazali

Department of Surgery,
Miri General Hospital,
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Ahmad Junaidi Ahmad Hamidi

Department of Surgery,
Miri General Hospital,
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Aisah Munirah Wahi

Department of Surgery,
Miri General Hospital,
Sarawak, Malaysia.

Firdaus Hayati

Department of Surgery,
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
Universiti Malaysia Sabah,
Sabah, Malaysia.

Published

2022-09-30

How to Cite

Shunxing Teh, Karthigesu Aimanan, Pardheebarajan Gokilavanan, Andrew Hun Meng Quah, Khairunnisa Che Ghazali, Ahmad Junaidi Ahmad Hamidi, Aisah Munirah Wahi, & Firdaus Hayati. (2022). Foreign Body Ingestion among Children of Northern Sarawak: A Retrospective Single Centre Experience. Borneo Journal of Medical Sciences (BJMS), 16(3), 27 –. https://doi.org/10.51200/bjms.v16i3.3676
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