TAMER AKAY
Clinical and Experimental Health Sciences - 2020;10(3):275-278
There have been many publications indicating that especially alkaline batteries are used in adults who attempt suicide by ingesting foreign objects. In our study, a convict patient of 45-years of age has been taken to the emergency service of our hospital after ingesting 12 alkaline batteries of AA type for suicide. The patient had chronic depression and epilepsy. After identification of foreign objects in patient’s stomach corpus by means of performed examination, direct graphy and tomography, the patient has been hospitalized in the general surgery service for follow up. After a follow up of 6 hours, the patient has been taken under upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and 10 alkaline batteries of AA type have been taken out from abdomen with the help of endoscope, although 2 alkaline batteries have passed the Treitz ligament. In the upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, generalized erythema and ulcerations have been determined in stomach corpus. The remaining 2 alkaline batteries have been taken out from the abdomen by natural ways. While studies have advised us to wait for 48 hours in cases of battery swallowing, the literature information which has changed in 2018, advises us not to wait for 48 hours, if possible, to remove it immediately. We wanted to present you that removing the alkaline batteries out of the abdomen by endoscopy in the centres having upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, is healthier for the patient and supports the literature, as the pathology, which may occur in stomach within this 48-hour period, may progress.
