Study Suggests Rapid Removal of Button Batteries, Not Just Observation, to Prevent Stomach Damage in Children

Ingested button batteries can damage the stomach lining of children over a short time and before symptoms develop, according to a new study presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2019 on Saturday, May 18, in San Diego, California. The authors suggest immediate endoscopic removal to prevent damage as opposed to watching for symptoms and waiting for the button to pass through the digestive tract.¹

“Batteries in the stomach cause damage, including perforation of the gastric wall, so physicians should consider removing the batteries as soon as possible,” study lead author Racha Khalaf, MD, a pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition fellow at the Digestive Health Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, said in a press release.²

The retrospective review included data on a cohort of 68 children who were seen at a pediatric hospital in Colorado, Florida, Texas, or Ohio for button battery ingestion from January 2014 to May 2018.

Erosive injuries to the mucous lining of the stomach were observed in 60% of cases, with no obvious association between damage and symptoms and no apparent relationship with the amount of time passed since ingestion. Based on these findings, the researchers suggest that clinicians and parents not wait for symptoms to occur or until time has passed to seek assistance in cases of button battery ingestion.

“We know there can be injury even when there are no symptoms,” Khalaf said.

—Melinda Stevens

References:

1. Khalaf RT, Ruan W, Wilsey M, et al. Gastric injury secondary to button battery ingestions in children: a retrospective multicenter review. Paper presented at: Digestive Disease Week 2019; May 18-21; San Diego, CA.

2. Button batteries can rapidly damage stomach lining before symptoms appear [press release]. San Diego, CA: Digestive Disease Week; May 18, 2019. https://ddw.org/news/press-releases/button-batteries-can-rapidly-damage-stomach-lining-before-symptoms-appear. Accessed May 17, 2019.