Clinico-Endoscopic Profile and Outcome of Corrosive Ingestion: A Single Centre Experience from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern India

Abstract

Background: Corrosive substances are common household substances that can be ingested either accidentally or with suicidal intent. Contents of the corrosives range from acid to alkali in varied concentrations. Corrosive ingestion represents serious problems with varied presentation and long term complications. Present study aims to explore the clinical-endoscopic profile and outcome of corrosive ingestion. Methods: We analysed clinical, endoscopy characteristics, outcome and complications of all consecutive patients presented with corrosive ingestion from August 2016 to August 2018. Results: A total of 36 patients were included over a period of 2 years. There were 20 males (55.6%). Mean age of presentation was 35.6 years (3-65 years). Paediatric age group patients were 5(13.8%). Common symptom was vomiting in 21 patients (58.3%). Common mode of ingestion was accidental (66.7%). Acid ingestion was seen in 27 patients (75%). Mean ingestion of corrosive to oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) time was 31.33 hours. Twenty (55.6%) patients with corrosive injury had Zargar class III mucosal injury. On follow up, 55% of patients with type III mucosal injury developed GI complications like oesophageal stricture and gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). Conclusions: In our study, acid ingestion is seen in two third of patients. Most common mode of ingestion was accidental. Paediatric corrosive ingestion is 13.8%. Half of patients had type III Zargar mucosal injury. 55% of patients with type III mucosal injury developed GI complications like oesophageal stricture and GOO. Zargar type III mucosal injury is associated more with acid ingestion compared to alkali. Endoscopy is safe procedure upto 3 days with no procedure related complications.