Foreign Body Ingestion (1 of 7)

Coins are probably the most commonly ingested foreign
bodies in children. This 20 month-old girld had a penny,
stuck in her esophageal inlet.
A coin in the esophagus appears as a round metallic object
on an AP projection.

As children explore the world, they will inevitably put
foreign bodies into their mouths and swallow some of them.

Most swallowed foreign bodies pass harmlessly through the
gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Foreign bodies that damage the
GI tract, become lodged, or have associated toxicity must
be identified and removed. Children with preexisting GI
abnormalities (eg, tracheoesophageal fistula, stenosing
lesions, previous GI surgery) are at an increased risk for
complications.