Disk Battery Ingestion - Symptoms, Complications, and Treatment

Introduction:

Disk batteries are present in many consumer electronics. With an increase in the demand for electronic products, the use of powerful batteries also has increased. The increase in the use of disk batteries has led to a rise in the occurrence of battery ingestion accidents. Disk battery ingestion can lead to life-threatening complications. Most of the ingestions occur in young children. As stated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), disk batteries are the most harmful type of battery if ingested by young children.

What Are Disk Batteries?

Disk batteries are tiny coin-sized in electronic devices like watches, calculators, remote controls, flashlights, hearing aids, toys, thermometers, singing birthday cards, etc. They are also known as button or lithium batteries. These batteries contain different materials like zinc, silver, lithium, manganese, mercury, etc. They are shiny and can vary in size from a pill to a quarter.

What Is Meant by Disk Battery Ingestion?

As disk batteries are small, they are easy for children to swallow. Children also put them in their noses or ears without their parent’s knowledge. The most dangerous damage happens when the disk batteries are swallowed. Most of these batteries will have power left in them, even though insufficient to make a device work. When swallowed, these lithium-containing batteries react with saliva and cause an alkalizing reaction. The battery emits an electric current that can burn the tissues. These burn injuries can lead to permanent damage or even death. 3-volt lithium batteries are the most dangerous as they are huge enough to get stuck and burn faster. These swallowed batteries can also become dangerous when stuck to the throat.

What Are the Symptoms of Disk Battery Ingestion?

The symptoms of disk battery ingestion are as follows:

• Coughing.

• Noisy breathing.

• Drooling.

• Abdominal pain.

• Vomiting.

• Refusal to eat or drink.

• Chest pain.

• Blood-tinged vomit, saliva, or stools.

• Throat pain.

• Vomiting sensation while eating or drinking.

• Pain while swallowing.

• Metallic taste in the mouth.

• Irritability.

• Diarrhea.

• Fever.

What Are the Complications of Disk Battery Ingestion?

Sometimes swallowed batteries pass through the stomach and intestine without causing many harmful effects. However, swallowed button batteries can get lodged inside the esophagus (the tube that links the throat to the stomach) and burn through the esophagus in two hours. Batteries stuck in the throat can produce electric current and leak corrosive chemicals like alkaline electrolytes. These corrosive chemicals can lead to the build-up of hydroxide, which is a chemical. Hydroxide can cause dangerous burns within a few hours and lead to internal damage. Burns in the stomach and esophagus may result in fluid leakage and ulcers. A tear in the esophagus may result in the following complications:

• Lung abscess (a pus-filled cavity in the lungs).

• Pneumothorax (a condition in which air from the lungs escapes and gets accumulated in the space around the lungs).

• Aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection caused due to inhalation of food, liquid, or any foreign object into the lungs).

• Tears in blood vessels.

• Tracheoesophageal fistula (an unusual connection between the esophagus and trachea that usually develops before birth).

• Tracheomalacia (a condition in children in which the walls of the windpipe collapse).

How to Diagnose Disk Battery Ingestion?

The ways to diagnose disk battery ingestion are as follows:

• Clinical examination of the symptoms.

• X-rays of the neck, chest, and abdomen.

• Blood and urine tests.

• Computed tomography (CT) scan.

What Are the Treatment Options for Disk Battery Ingestion?

Disk batteries that pass through the gastrointestinal tract are eliminated naturally. But disk batteries lodged in the nose, ear, or esophagus must be removed immediately. The treatment options are as follows:

• Bronchoscopy: Bronchoscopy is a procedure in which the doctor uses a bronchoscope (a thin tube) to view the air passages and lungs. This is done if the ingested battery is in the lungs or windpipe.

• Direct Laryngoscopy: Direct laryngoscopy is a method to view and evaluate the voice box and vocal cords. If the battery has been breathed in and caused a life-threatening airway blockage, surgery is done immediately.

• Urgent endoscopic removal within two hours of swallowing the battery.

• Surgical removal of the ingested battery. This is followed by washing the surrounding area with a solution to neutralize the alkali emitted by the battery. This is done to avoid further damage to the neighboring soft tissues.

• Airway management, if needed.

• Intravenous administration of fluids.

• Medicines to treat the symptoms.

What Should Be Done to a Person Who Has Swallowed a Disk Battery?

The steps to be done immediately after a person has swallowed a disk battery are as follows:

• Go to the nearest doctor or emergency room in the hospital as soon as possible.

• Two teaspoons of honey can be given to children above 12 months who have swallowed a disk battery in the last 12 hours. The procedure should be repeated up to five times with a time gap of over ten minutes between every dose of honey.

• Do not make the person vomit by giving medications.

• Do not let the person consume any food items or drinks.

• Stools can be checked to see if the battery has passed.

• Do not try removing the battery without the assistance of a doctor. This could change the location of the battery and increase the risk of injury.

How to Prevent Disk Battery Ingestion?

The tips to prevent disk battery ingestion in both young children and adults are as follows:

Young Children:

• Store batteries to be recycled and spare batteries out of sight and reach of young children.

• Store loose batteries in a locked box or cabinet.

• Batteries that cannot be recycled should be wrapped securely and discarded.

• Purchase devices that require a tool or screwdriver to open the battery compartment. Devices that have child-resistant locking mechanisms can also be used.

• Do not change or insert batteries in front of small children.

• Family members who wear hearing aids should be cautious about keeping the battery away from the reach of children.

• Children who play with disk battery-controlled toys should be monitored carefully

Adults:

• Do not place disk batteries in the mouth to hold or test, as they are slippery and can be swallowed easily.

• Do not leave batteries near food items like nuts, candies, or popcorn.

• Do not leave or store batteries in drinking glasses.

• Do not leave batteries on bedside tables, pockets, or purses.

• Do not keep batteries near pill boxes because they can be easily mistaken for pills.

Conclusion:

Even though most disk batteries pass through the stools, sometimes disk battery ingestions can cause permanent injury. Steps of preventing disk battery ingestion should be followed cautiously both by adults and children. Disk batteries stuck in the throat for a prolonged period can lead to life-threatening injuries or even death. The chances of recovery depend on how fast the treatment is given. Hence it is very important to seek immediate medical attention following a disk battery ingestion.