Delayed endoscopic removal of sharp foreign body in the esophagus increased clinical complications: An experience from multiple centers in China

Foreign bodies impaction in the esophagus is a common clinical emergency. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of foreign body ingestion, and to analyze the risk factors of complications during the endoscopic procedure. From 18 general hospitals in Zhejiang Province in China, 595 patients who underwent gastroscopic removal of ingested foreign bodies were prospectively recruited. Patient characteristics, clinical features, foreign body features, clinical outcomes, and complications were documented. The most common types of foreign body in the esophagus were sharp objects (75.9%), including fish bones (34.0%), chicken bones (22.1%), and fruit nuclei (17.1%). The remaining types were non-sharp objects (24.1%), including food bolus (14.6%). Most objects were lodged in the proximal esophagus (75.9%). Foreign body-related complications occurred in 63 patients (10.5%), including hemorrhage (5.0%), perforation and infection (5.5%). The complication rate was increased by 4.04- and 8.48- fold when endoscopic retrieval was performed after impacted for over 24 and 48 hours, respectively, after impaction, as compared with within 12 hours. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the patients with sharp objects developed more complications than those with non-sharp ones (odds ratio, 2.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.08–7.50; P = .034). However, complications were unrelated with the location in the esophagus or length of foreign bodies (P > .05). Sharp objects were the most frequently ingested foreign bodies in the esophagus in China. The prevalence of complications was increased in the patients with long foreign body retention time (>24 hours) and sharp objects. Sharp foreign bodies in the esophagus are recommended to be removed within 24 hours.