Endoscopic management of 168 cases with foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Objective To analyze the clinical effects of endoscopic treatment of foreign bodies in the upper gastro intestinal tract. Methods A total of 168 patients, aged from 80 days to 100 years, with foreign bodies in the upper gastro- intestinal tract treated by endoscopy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from September 2017 to September 2018 were selected. The relationship between foreign body type, foreign body location and patient’s age was analyzed to explore the influencing factors of complications. Results One hundred and sixty-eight cases of foreign bodies in the upper gastro- intestinal tract were more common in elderly patients, accounting for 44.1% (74/168); 78.0% foreign bodies (131/168) were in esophagus; and 53 cases of foreign bodies were jujube pits.Foreign bodies in children were mainly distributed in the esophagus and stomach, accounting for 51.2% and 39.0% respectively. The foreign bodies in the middle and young age were mainly distributed in the esophagus and stomach, accounting for 77.4% and 18.9%, respectively. The foreign bodies in the elderly were mainly distributed in the esophagus, accounting for 93.2%. The main types of foreign bodies were different among children, middle and young persons and the elderly. The success rate of endoscopic foreign body removal was 98.2%(165/168), and 53.6% (90/168)of patients had local complications, and 94.4% of them (85/90) recovered after medical treatment. All complications were considered to be caused by the foreign body itself, and no complications occurred during the treatment of the foreign body. The incidence of complications was related to age, foreign body location and foreign body types. The proportion of elderly patients with associated digestive tract diseases was 33.8%, and other operations could be performed while removing foreign bodies under endoscopy. Conclusions Therapeutic endoscopy is the most significant method treating foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract, which has great safety and effectiveness. Meanwhile, it has great value in discovering invisible diseases and treating primary diseases or complications. Key words: Foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract; Endoscope; Child; Elderly