Emergency endoscopic management of dietary foreign bodies in the esophagus

Objective: We report our experience of endoscopy in the emergency management of dietary foreign bodies. Methods: One hundred thirty-six patients were admitted to the emergency department (ED) between January 1997 and October 2006 for the endoscopic removal of esophageal dietary foreign bodies. They had a mean age of 47.7 years, and 91 (67%) were women. Results: Most of the ingested materials (98.5%) were successfully extracted using either flexible or rigid endoscope. The objects most frequently ingested were fish bones (48%) and chicken bones (46%). Most of the objects (84%) were lodged in the upper esophagus. Two patients with irretrievable foreign bodies or complicated perforations were taken to surgery. Conclusion: Because most of these foreign bodies lodged in the upper esophagus, physicians should take care of this area to avoid secondary injury or complications, especially with sharp bones.