Retrospective analysis of endoscopic management of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract of adults

BACKGROUND: Foreign body impaction in the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract is considered an emergency worldwide. This article reports our experience in the endoscopic management of foreign bodies in the UGI tract of adults. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted on adult patients (aged >18 years) who received endoscopic management of foreign bodies in the UGI tract at Shuang Ho Hospital between November 2008 and November 2016. RESULTS: A total of 280 patients (male/female: 107/178; mean age: 56 years) were included. Fish bones were the most common ingested foreign bodies (n = 162; 56.8%), and the esophagus was the most common lodgment site (n = 222; 77.9%). The presence of symptoms indicated that the ingested foreign bodies were lodged in the hypopharynx or esophagus rather than in the stomach or duodenum (p < 0.01). The detection rate of ingested foreign bodies in the UGI tract through plain radiography was 53% (122/230). The average "door-to-scope" was 5.9 hours, and 99.2% of the patients received endoscopic management of the ingested foreign bodies within 24 hours. The complication rate was relatively low (n = 14; 4.9%). No patient received surgical intervention or died of endoscopic management. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic management is a safe and highly effective procedure for extracting ingested foreign bodies. Rapid endoscopic intervention should be provided to reduce the risk of complications.