Radiopaque Foreign Bodies Swallowed by the Children during the COVID-19 Period Compared with the Pre-Pandemic Period

Abstract

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic restricted people to their homes or limited places and boosted online learning and homeschooling for the kids. Metallic foreign body ingestion by children was seen to have increased during this period. Aim: The aim of this study was to highlight types and outcomes of ingested metallic foreign bodies in children during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records, abdominal radiographs, and computed tomography of children under 14 years during the 2-year pandemic period (from December 2019 to December 2021) with histories or clinical suspicions of ingested metallic foreign bodies. Age, gender, number (single or multiple), and morphology (size and shape) characteristics (magnetic or nonmagnetic) of ingested foreign bodies were recorded. The number of such cases during the COVID-19 pandemic period was compared with the rate of ingestion in 3 years before the COVID-19 period (from January 2017 to December 2019). Outcomes in terms of spontaneous expulsion (through the usual alimentary tract from the anus without the need for intervention) and intervention (endoscopic or surgical removal) were recorded. The Chi-square test was used to measure association. Results: Out of 161 patients (86 in COVID period, and 75 in pre-COVID period), majority were males (n = 98, 61%) and under 5 years (n = 87, 54%). Most of the foreign bodies were single (n = 146, 90%), <2 cm in sizes (n = 93, 58%), regular in shapes (n = 128, 79.5%), and were spontaneously expelled (n = 134, 83%) during 48–72 h of ingestion. Mostly irregular-shaped, larger-sized, and small magnetic beads required either endoscopic removal (n = 23) or surgery (n = 4). Conclusion: A higher rate of ingested foreign bodies by the children is noted during the COVID-19 pandemic period, with irregular shaped and magnetic bead foreign bodies requiring interventions.