ABSTRACT

Aim:

Evaluation of the results of our experiences with foreign body (FB) ingestion in this country.

Patients and methods:

The medical records of 73 patients treated for FB ingestion between January 1985 and December 2003 were evaluated retrospectively.

Results:

Fifty-nine percent of the patients were boys, and the majority of them had ingested coins and safety pins. The age of 41% of the patients ranged from 1.5 months to 2 years. Rigid esophagoscopy was performed to remove the FBs. Laparotomy was required in 2 patients with safety pin ingestion.

Conclusion:

Coins were the most commonly ingested FBs. In addition to surgical and medical aspects, cultural differences should also be considered in FB ingestion as the type of ingested object varies in different populations