Most Common Site of Upper Gastrointestinal Tract Injury in Acid/Alkali Ingestion.
- Author:
Hye Young JANG
1
;
Sung Eun KIM
;
Koo Young JUNG
;
Sung Ae JUNG
;
Mi Soon JU
Author Information
1. Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Korea. kyjung@mm.ewha.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Acid ingestion;
Alkali ingestion;
Corrosive GI injury
- MeSH:
Alkalies;
Eating*;
Endoscopy;
Esophagus;
Humans;
Retrospective Studies;
Stomach;
Upper Gastrointestinal Tract*
- From:Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
2001;12(4):496-502
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: It is generally known that while alkali ingestion injures principally the esophagus, acid usually spares the esophagus and damages the stomach mainly. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the most common site of upper gastrointestinal tract injury in acid/alkali ingestion based on endoscopic findings. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 40 patients who ingested acid/alkali for types and amounts of product ingested, time required to undergo endoscopy, and initial endoscopic findings. Endoscopic lesions were graded according to the criteria suggested by Zagar and were graded at the authors'discretion to compare acid injury and alkali injury. RESULTS: In the acid ingestion group(n=27), the esophagus injury score was 2.55+/-1.18, the stomach injury score was 2.62+/-1.78, and the difference was -0.07+/-1.13, therefore, no significant difference was present(p=0.939). In the alkali ingestion group(n=10), the esophagus injury score was 1.63+/-1.50 and the stomach injury score was 2.63+/-1.20. Stomach injury was significantly more severe than esophageal injury(difference : -1.00+/-1.18, p=0.026, Wilcoxon signed ranks test). CONCLUSION: While no difference exists between injuries of the esophagus and the stomach due to acid ingestion, the stomach was the most common site in alkali injury.
