DOI: 10.33631/sabd.1818396 ISSN: 2792-0542

Corrosive Substance Ingestion in Adults: Seven-Year Retrospective Analysis of Endoscopic Findings and Complications

Funda Uğur Kantar
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Aim: Corrosive ingestion which is the act of swallowing substances that have the potential of causing tissue damage, presents a significant medical emergency. If not evaluated early, can lead to high morbidity and mortality as well as long-term complications if not managed appropriatelyMaterial and Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients who were admitted to the Department of Emergency Medicine and referred to Gastroenterology with the complaint of caustic ingestion and underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between April 2016 and July 2023. We evaluated the demographic findings of the patients, such as age, gender; intent of ingestion, characteristic of the caustic materials ingested, endoscopic findings and complications from medical records.Results: We identified 143 patients who were consulted to gastroenterology due to caustic ingestion. The mostly ingested caustic materials were household bleach as 51.1% (n:67) and limescale remover as 20.6% (n:27). 97 patients had suicidal intent (74%) and 34 patients ingested caustic agent incidentally (%26). 49 patients (37.4%) had no pathological findings in their endoscopic evaluation, whereas 16 patients (12.2%) presented moderate to severe injuries (Zargar Grade 2B–3B). Long-term complications were esophageal stricture in 2 patients and gastric outlet obstruction in 4 patients.Conclusion: Corrosive substance ingestion remains a serious medical and public health concern. Zargar’s classification is the most important independent predictor in development of complications. Early endoscopic evaluation is the most effective method for identifying tissue injury, determining treatment, and predicting prognosis.

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