Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common health problem that affects children more than adults. According to gastroenterologists’ guidelines, the management of FB ingestion differs slightly between adult and children. This review aimed to compile adult and children guidelines and establish an understandable association to reveal the requirements and timing of the endoscopic procedure, which is the most effective and least complicated technique for gastrointestinal FBs. Coins, pins, and chicken and fish bones have been the most commonly ingested FBs. However, with their increasing use in recent years, large batteries with lithiumion conversion, stronger magnets composed of rare earth metals, such as neodymium, and superabsorbent objects have become the most morbid and mortal, necessitating new management strategies. Although the approach to gastrointestinal FBs is controversial, with different treatment options available in different disciplines, many studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of endoscopic procedures. Many factors influence the timing of endoscopy, including the nature, size, and location of the ingested object and the patient’s clinical condition.

Purpose: Synbiotics can alleviate some intestinal pathologies or prevent trigger mechanisms for some diseases such as celiac disease (CD). If patients with high levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies have normal duodenal histology, they are followed as potential CD patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of synbiotic use on the blood levels of anti-tTG antibodies in children. Methods: Eighty-two patients with high anti-tTG levels were included in this study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. The synbiotic group was treated with a daily dose of a synbiotic including multi-strain probiotics for 20 days. The control group was not administered any medication. Anti-tTG values at baseline and repeat measurements and the percentage change in anti-tTG levels between groups were compared. Results: The anti-tTG level at baseline was 36 U/mL (interquartile range [IQR], 26.4–68 U/mL) in the synbiotic group, and it decreased significantly to 13 U/mL (IQR, 6.5–27.5 U/mL) after 20 days (p<0.05). The anti-tTG level at baseline was 46 U/mL (IQR, 31–89 U/mL) in the control group, which also decreased significantly to 23 U/mL (IQR, 7–41 U/mL) after 20 days (p<0.05). Anti-tTG levels exhibited 73% and 56% decreases in the synbiotic and control groups, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion It may be speculated that a synbiotic supplementation can contribute to decreasing anti-tTG levels in children with potential CD.

PURPOSE: Safety pin ingestion is common in some regions of the world and may lead to severe morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to present some practical suggestions for ingested safety pins using an accompanying algorithm, presented for the first time in the literature to the best of our knowledge. METHODS: Twenty children with ingested safety pins during a 4-year period were retrospectively included in the study. RESULTS: Median age of patients was 9.5 months (interquartile range, 6.3–14 months), and 70% were girls. On endoscopic examination, safety pins were observed in the stomach (25%), duodenal bulb (20%), upper esophagus (15%), middle esophagus (10%), and second part of the duodenum (10%) but were not observed in 20% of the cases. Safety pins were removed using endoscopy in 15 cases (75%). In four cases (20%), no safety pin was observed on endoscopic examination. In one case (5%) involving a 6-month-old infant, the safety pin could not be removed although it was observed using endoscopy. No surgical intervention was needed for any patient. No complications such as perforation or deaths developed, except for erosions, due to the foreign body removal procedure. CONCLUSION: Safety pins are easily removed endoscopically. The best option is to remove the safety pin using endoscopy while it is still in the esophagus and stomach. For this reason, endoscopic procedures should be performed as soon as possible in children who have ingested safety pins.
Child ; Duodenum ; Eating ; Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Female ; Foreign Bodies ; Humans ; Infant ; Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach