Button battery ingestion, inhalation or insertion

BPSU surveillance of the unintentional ingestion, inhalation or insertion of button batteries in children requiring removal or attempted removal commenced in February 2021. This study will help inform services for the prevention and treatment of children who have accidentally swallowed or choked on button batteries. The study is being led by Dr Bob Basu, winner of the Sir Peter Tizard Bursary 2016-17.

Overview

Button batteries are used to power many household devices, including toys and novelty greeting cards. They are small and round in shape, often the size of a small coin. If a button battery were to be accidentally swallowed or inhaled by a child and became lodged in the food or wind pipe it can cause very serious injury potentially leading to severe disability or even death.

In the United Kingdom, there have been many case reports and also media attention surrounding the damage that button batteries can cause to children who have either accidentally swallowed (ingested) or breathed in (inhaled) them. The purpose of this study is to establish the number of children who require a hospital admission with medical intervention in the UK and Ireland after swallowing or inhaling a button battery accidentally, over the period of one calendar year.

We will look at what happens to these children and see how many suffered serious injury and determine the nature of these injuries.

It is felt that children aged 1-3 years are particularly at risk because of their increasing independence, mobility, and curiosity. The tendency for these young children to investigate their environment with their hands and mouths puts them at particular risk and in this age group they are at danger from aspiration from various foods such as grapes, raisins, nuts, seeds, as well as any object less than 1.5 cm in diameter.

If a child has accidentally ingested or inhaled a button battery then their presentation to a healthcare professional may vary upon whether the event has been witnessed or not. Even if witnessed, there remains a lack of understanding in parents and medical personnel alike as to the emergency nature of such an event.

In this study, we will describe the number of new cases incidence) needing hospital admission and intervention. We will look at contributing reasons (factors), and outcomes of children who require an admission to hospital after a button battery ingestion or inhalation within our defined population, and use the data to inform prevention campaigns, policy change, and clinical care.

Investigators

Dr Bob Basu
Bradford Royal Infirmary,
Duckworth Lane,
Bradford BD9 5LE
Email: leedsth-tr.buttonbattery@nhs.net