Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Pediatrik Cerrahi Dergisi, cilt.17, sa.2, ss.70-73, 2003 (Scopus)
Aim: Corrosive substance ingestion is a frequent house accident encountered in children. In our country, household bleach used for cleaning, is the most common substance accidentally ingested by children. Both in books and in the literature, there is not a consensus or adequate information about the management of the household bleach ingested children. In this study, we want to compare the results of two different clinical approaches: evaluation with esophagoscopy with hospitalization, and without esophagoscopy on out-patient basis. Methods: 90 patients whom presented with bleach ingestion between 1990-2002 were evaluated retrospectively. Group 1 included 32 patients who had routine esophagoscopy performed during 1990-1995 and group 2 included 58 patients that were followed-up as outpatients between 1996-2002. The data of age, sex and bleach ingestion and result of therapy were evaluated. Results: The mean age in group 1 was 2.9±2.1 years and in group 2 it was 3.8±2.5 years. There were no differences between two groups statistically and groups were accepted as homogenized. In group 1, 32 patients were evaluated with esophagoscopy, 28 were normal, in three patients esophageal hyperemia and in one case fibrinoid lesions were found. These four cases did not develop esophageal stricture in the follow-up. All of 58 cases in group 2 were planned for esophagogram after three weeks of the ingestion. Esophagogram was performed in forty-six of the cases and all of them were normal. Twelve cases lost to follow-up. Antibiotherapy was not administered in our cases and there was no complication on follow up. Conclusion: Accidental household bleach ingestion in children has a benign clinical course. Cases with esophageal stricture development by ingestion of household bleach are informed in literature. In our series esophageal stricture didn't develop via ingestion of household bleach, which are commercially sold in markets. In our opinion, these patients don't require hospitalization, antibiotic and steroid therapy and diagnostic endoscopy, unless severe dysphasia or signs of significant injury.