Management of caustic injury

ABSTRACT

The incidence of corrosive substance ingestion is high in southern Thailand. Gastrointestinal tract injury caused by caustic ingestion can be severe and result in high mortality. There are several factors that can affect the degree and extent of damage. In the acute stage, perforation and necrosis of the upper gastrointestinal tract may occur. Endoscopy should be attempted early to assess the extent of the damage. Management is mainly resuscitation, detection and correction of the complications. Potential long-term complications include esophageal stricture, antral stenosis and development of esophageal carcinoma. Esophageal strictures, which occur more commonly, correlate to the degree of injury and are managed by dilatation or surgical correction. This article summarizes the management of caustic injury and treatment options.