Published online May 16, 2014. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v2.i5.157
Revised: February 8, 2014
Accepted: April 11, 2014
Published online: May 16, 2014
The location of an ingested foreign object is often difficult to determine by X-ray if gastric air bubbles are not clear in the image. Methods that provide negative contrast can facilitate precise object localization, which is important for object retrieval and treatment of the patient. This case report describes a male child, 2 years and 2 mo of age, who accidentally swallowed a lithium battery while playing at home. A plain X-ray showed that the battery was in the abdomen, but it was unclear whether the object was still inside the stomach. A second X-ray examination performed after oral administration of a bloating agent to produce expansion of the stomach and provide negative contrast confirmed that the ingested battery was still in the stomach. The battery was then carefully removed using magnetic and balloon catheters under fluoroscopic guidance. This case report describes the successful use of an orally administered bloating agent without pain to the child in order to determine the precise location of a foreign object in the abdomen.
Core tip: After ingestion of a foreign object, it is sometimes difficult to determine the object’s exact location, which is important for successful retrieval and patient recovery. In the present case, an X-ray examination was performed after oral administration of a bloating agent to confirm that an ingested battery was still inside the stomach of a pediatric patient. This case demonstrates the successful and painless utilization of a bloating agent in a child for the diagnostic determination of an ingested foreign object location.