• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2001

Background: The accidental swallowing of foreign body is a common problem in the children. Ingested foreign bodies may be managed by endoscopy, observation, or surgery. So we analyzed the methods of removal, type, location and complications of foreign bodies. Materials and Methods: This report reviewed 37 cases of ingested foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract at the Department of Pediatrics, Yeungnam University Hospital between January 1997 and April 2001. Results: The age ranged from 8 months to 8 years. The most prevalent age group was between 1 year and 2 years of age(19%). The male to female ratio was 2.1:1 with 25 male and 12 female patients. The type of foreign bodies were coins in 20 cases(54%), nail in 4 cases(11%), key in 4 cases(11%), pin in 2 cases(5.5%), necklace in 2 cases(5.5%) and others. The locations of foreign bodies were upper esophagus in 12 cases(32.5%), lower esophagus in 4 cases(10.8%), stomach in 16 cases(43.2%), small bowel in 5 cases(13.5%). 4. Presenting symptoms were variable with asymptomatic(59.4%), vomiting(19.0%), epigastric pain(8.1%), dysphagia(5.4%) and others. The methods for removal of foreign bodies included 20 cases of endoscopic removal(54.0%). 3 cases of spontaneous removal(8.1%) and there was no surgical removal. 14 cases(37.9%) did not confirmed removal of foreign body because of no revisit of our hospital. Endoscopic finding of patients were normal(15 cases), ulceration(2 cases), erosion(1 case), inflammation(1 case), mucosal scratch(1 case). Conclusion: It appears that the endoscopic approach is the preferable method for the removal of upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies in the children.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1981.05a
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• pp.5.3-6
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• 1981

There are too many kinds of esophageal corrosive agents, such as sodium hydrochloride, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, etc. Esophageal burn due to above chemical agents are decreasing recently, but still many patients visited to the hospital because of swallowing corrosive agents for the purpose of suicide or accidentally. Among the treatment of corrosive injury of the esophagus, prevention of esophageal stricture is the key point. Recently various methods are using as the treatment of corrosive esophagitis and prevention of esophageal stricture. 51 cases of corrosive injury of the esophagus who had been admitted and treated at the Dept. of Otolaryngology, Han Yang University Hospital during past 9 years (from May 1972 to Dec. 1980) were evaluated and report the result about age distribution, sex incidence, monthly distribution, cause of swallowing, swallowing agents, arriving time at hospital after swallowing, changes on oral and pharyngeal mucosa, laboratory findings, emergency treatment and treatment during admission, treatment follow up results and complications with review of liter ature. Following results were obtained; 1. Female patients 27 cases (52.9%) were more than male patients 24 cases (47.1%) and its ratio was 1.13 : 1. 2. Age distribution showed predilection for age of 21-30 with 20 cases(39.2%), and 11-20 with 11 cases (21.6%), 31-40 with 7 cases(13.7%), over 50 with 7 cases (13.7%) were following. 3. Monthly distribution showed predilection for March with 8 cases(15.7%), and April, July with 7 cases (13.7%), September with 6 cases(l1.8%), October 5 cases(9.8%) were following. 4. For the purpose of suicide was the most cause of swallowing with 40 cases(78.4%), and accidentally swallowing 11 cases(21.6%). 5. Acetic acid was the most swallowing agent with 24 cases (47.0%), and hydrochloric acid 11 cases (21.5%), lye 8 cases(15.7%), iodine 2 cases(3.9%) were following. 6. Arriving time at the hospital after swallowing showed predilection for within 12 hours with 42 cases (82.4%), and from 12 hours to 24 hours with 4 cases(7.8%) was next. 7. Moderate change with injection and swelling was the prevalent change on oral and pharyngeal mucosa with 20 cases(39.2%) and severe cases with ulceration 18 cases (35.3%), mild cases with injection 10 cases (19.6%) were following. 8. Leukocytosis was seen on 40 cases (78.4%), and increased Hct. was seen 31 cases (60.8%). On urine analysis, 14 cases(27.5%) showed over 1.030 S.G., and proteinuria was seen on 25 cases(49.0%), glycosuria was seen on 5 cases(9.8%) and hematuria was seen on 6 cases(11.8). 9. Gastric lavage was done on 30 cases (58.8%) as emergency treatment and on 3 cases(5.9%) tracheostomy was done for the airway keeping. 10. As methods of treatment during admission, L-tube insertion was done on 50 cases (98.0%), antibiotics was given to 49 cases (96.1%), steroid and antacid were given to 46 cases(90.2%). 11. 36 cases(70.6%) were in favorable condition after proper treatment, but 2 cases (3.9%) were expired during admission, 4 cases (7.8%) showed esophageal stricture in-spite of treatment, and 1 case(2.0%) showed pyloric stenosis. 12. Complications were observed in 8 cases (17.7%). Renal failure (4 cases), aspiration pneumonia (2 cases), upper G-I bleeding (1 cases), and diabetic coma (1 cases) were seen in order of frequency.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1972.03a
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• pp.6-7
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• 1972

The air pollutants can be classified into the irritant gas and the asphixation gas, and the irritant gas is closely related to the otorhinolaryngological diseases. The common irritant gases are nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrogen carbon compounds, and the potent and irritating PAN (peroxy acyl nitrate) which is secondarily liberated from photosynthesis. Those gases adhers to the mucous membrane to result in ulceration and secondary infection due to their potent oxidizing power. 1. Sulfur dioxide gas Sulfur dioxide gas has the typical characteristics of the air pollutants. Because of its high solubility it gets easily absorbed in the respiratory tract, when the symptoms and signs by irritation become manifested initially and later the resistance in the respiratory tract brings central about pulmonary edema and respiratory paralysis of origin. Chronic exposure to the gas leads to rhinitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, and olfactory or gustatory disturbances. 2. Carbon monoxide Toxicity of carbon monoxide is due to its deprivation of the oxygen carrying capacity of the hemoglobin. The degree of the carbon monoxide intoxication varies according to its concentration and the duration of inhalation. It starts with headache, vertigo, nausea, vomiting and tinnitus, which can progress to respiratory difficulty, muscular laxity, syncope, and coma leading to death. 3. Nitrogen dioxide Nitrogen dioxide causes respiratory disturbances by formation of methemoglobin. In acute poisoning, it can cause pulmonary congestion, pulmonary edema, bronchitis, and pneumonia due to its strong irritation on the eyes and the nose. In chronic poisoning, it causes chronic pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary edema. 4. Ozone It has offending irritating odor, and causes dryness of na sopharyngolaryngeal mucosa, headache and depressed pulmonary function which may eventually lead to pulmonary congestion or edema. 5. Smog The most outstanding incident of the smog occurred in London from December 5 through 8, 1952, because of which the mortality of the respiratory diseases increased fourfold. The smog was thought to be due to the smoke produced by incomplete combustion and its byproduct the sulfur oxides, and the dust was thought to play the secondary role. In new sense, hazardous is the photochemical smog which is produced by combination of light energy and the hydrocarbons and oxidant in the air. The Yonsei University Institute for Environmental :pollution Research launched a project to determine the relationship between the pollution and the medical, ophthalmological and rhinopharyngological disorders. The students (469) of the "S" Technical School in the most heavily polluted area in Pusan (Uham Dong district) were compared with those (345) of "K" High School in the less polluted area. The investigated group had those with subjective symptoms twice as much as the control group, 22.6% (106) in investigated group and 11.3% (39) in the control group. Among those symptomatic students of the investigated group. There were 29 with respiratory symptoms (29%), 22 with eye symptoms (21%), 50 with stuffy nose and rhinorrhea (47%), and 5 with sore thorat (5%), which revealed that more than half the students (52%) had subjective symptoms of the rhinopharyngological aspects. Physical examination revealed that the investigated group had more number of students with signs than those of the control group by 10%, 180 (38.4%) versus 99 (28.8%). Among the preceding 180 students of the investigated group, there were 8 with eye diseases (44%), 1 with respiratory disease (0.6%), 97 with rhinitis (54%), and 74 with pharyngotonsillitis (41%) which means that 95% of them had rharygoical diseases. The preceding data revealed that the otolaryngological diseases are conspicuously outnumbered in the heavily polluted area, and that there must be very close relationship between the air pollution and the otolaryngological diseases, and the anti-pollution measure is urgently needed.