What about foreign bodies in the digestive tract?

  Foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract are common emergencies that can occur at any age, and are caused by intentional or unintentional swallowing of objects, resulting in lesions that remain in the esophagus or stomach or duodenum, mostly caused by eating dates, coins, children’s trinkets, bones, fish spines, razor blades, etc. The symptoms can range from pain in the throat, foreign body sensation, chest and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting in mild cases to haemorrhage, ulceration and perforation of the upper gastrointestinal tract in severe cases. If not treated in time, complications or even life-threatening complications may occur. Emergency removal of foreign bodies from the upper gastrointestinal tract under endoscopic local or general anesthesia is the preferred treatment that is relatively safe, fast, economical, and has a high success rate with less patient pain.  Causes 1.organic causes: such as cardia achalasia, middle esophageal stenosis (unknown); esophageal blockage due to motor weakness in elderly patients; Plummer-Vinson syndrome; esophageal mucosa abnormal hyperplasia formed by long-term severe anemia; esophageal webbing formed by tumor or ulcer; 2.non-organic causes: mostly by mistake, such as chicken, duck, goose, bone, fish spur, coin, etc.. A few are deliberately swallowed, such as prisoners swallowing razor blades, steel wires, toothbrushes, etc. Foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract are not uncommon clinically, mostly caused by the consumption of chicken, duck, goose, bone, fish spines, etc. The symptoms are pain in the throat, foreign body sensation, chest and abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting in the lighter cases, and in the heavier cases, the upper gastrointestinal tract is complicated by hemorrhage, ulceration, perforation, or even death. In particular, be careful with foreign bodies in the middle aortic arch of the esophagus, which can lead to hemorrhage and death.  The diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the medical history. X-rays may be used in the pediatric population or in those with unclear dictation. The American Guidelines for the Management of Foreign Bodies in the GI Tract state that frontal and lateral chest and abdominal X-rays are diagnostic of most GI foreign bodies and their location, and endoscopy is recommended as the first diagnostic test, with routine barium meal not recommended, primarily to prevent the risk of inadvertent aspiration. Moreover, the contrast agent coating foreign bodies and GI mucosa may make endoscopy more difficult. However, such X-ray permeable foreign bodies as wood blocks, plastic, hair, etc. are difficult to show on plain film, while some cases of non-x-ray permeable foreign bodies are limited by relying only on plain film for localization.  Treatment of this disease should be treated by endoscopy as soon as possible once the diagnosis is confirmed, and endoscopic removal of foreign bodies is suitable for foreign bodies in the esophagus, stomach and duodenum.