Pediatric foreign body ingestion in Makkah, Saudi Arabia: A retrospective epidemiological study

OBJECTIVES: To improve the local data and demographics of foreign body (FB) ingestion in the Makkah, Saudi Arabia and to provide basic statistics for future studies in the local community. METHODS: We carried out a record-based retrospective epidemiological study of 153 pediatric patients with FB ingestion who presented to our center in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, between December 2014 and December 2019. Adult age, impacted FB at other sites, and chemical ingestion were excluded. RESULTS: Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. There has been an alarming increase in the number of children admitted to hospitals following FB ingestion. Approximately 41.8% of these patients were under the age of 4 years, with boys (63.4%) accounting for the majority. Most of the ingested FB were coins (60.8%), and 96.7% of the patients remained under 24 hours of observation at the hospital. The results showed a highly statistically significant relationship between the FB type, age, length of hospital stay, and esophagoscopic findings. CONCLUSION: A large number of children presented with ingested FB, especially those younger than 4 years of age, whose clinical presentation varied from asymptomatic to severe complications, and urgent endoscopic intervention might have decreased serious complications. Further preventive measures are necessary within homes in addition to increasing caregivers’ awareness of the different circumstances of FB ingestion and the time required for urgent admission.