RESUMEN
Objectives: We sought to describe the frequency of encounters and complications of foreign body [FB] ingestion in children seen at Royal Hospital, Oman
Methods: Medical records of all children [
Results: Of the 585 children diagnosed with FB ingestion, 385 were included in the study; 58.4% were males and 41.6% were females giving a male to female ratio of 1.4:1.0. Half [50.9%] of the children were less than three years old. Coins were the most frequently ingested objects [41.3%] followed by disc batteries [12.2%]. Sixty-three patients [16.3%] required urgent esophagogastroduodenoscopy [EGD]. EGD was performed mainly for coins [44.4%] followed by disc batteries [14.3%] in the esophagus or stomach. The complication rate was 5.2% in total, and 3.6% for clinically significant complications. We had no mortality cases
Conclusions: FB ingestion is common in toddlers in Oman. Coins and disc batteries are most commonly ingested calling for strict family vigilance. Endoscopy is done in a small number of children and clinically significant complications, in general, are low. However, these findings should not lead to a false sense of security, and ingested FBs should always be taken seriously