Corrosive Injury of the Stomach and Esophagus by Sodium Hypochlorite Ingestion: A case report

ABSTRACT

Ingestion of sodium hypochlorite bleach is usually benign, leading most emergency departments to advocate conservative home management. We report a rare case of household bleach ingestion. A 54- year-old male ingested unintentionally an unknown quantity of household bleach (4% sodium hypochlorite, pH<12). He was transferred to our department for further evaluation and management from a local general hospital because of continuous vomiting and suspicious gastric malignant lesions on the endoscopic findings. The results of repeated gastrointestinal endoscopy were corrosive injury to the stomach and the esophagus. About 60 days following ingestion of the bleach, he underwent a hemigastrectomy due to pyloric stenosis. The literature regarding corrosive injury following bleach ingestion is reviewed.