Factors predictive of risk for complications in patients with oesophageal foreign bodies.

BACKGROUND: Reports on predictive risk factors associated with complications of ingested oesophageal foreign bodies are rare.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the predictive risk factors associated with the complications of oesophageal foreign bodies.

METHODS: Three hundred sixteen cases with foreign bodies in the oesophagus were retrospectively investigated. The predictive risk factors for complications after foreign body ingestion were analysed by multivariate logistic regression, and included age, size and type of foreign body ingested, duration of impaction, and the level of foreign body impaction.

RESULTS: The types of oesophageal foreign bodies included fish bones (37.0%), food (19.0%), and metals (18.4%). The complications associated with foreign bodies were ulcers (21.2%), lacerations (14.9%), erosions (12.0%), and perforation (1.9%). Multivariate analysis showed that the duration of impaction (p<0.001), and the type (p<0.001) and size of the foreign bodies (p<0.001) were significant independent risk factors associated with the development of complications in patients with oesophageal foreign bodies.

CONCLUSION: In patients with oesophageal foreign bodies, the risk of complications was increased with a longer duration of impaction, bone type, and larger size.