Prospective evaluation of a novel scoring system for managing foreign body ingestion in children

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate a recently developed scoring system for managing foreign body ingestion in children. METHODS: We developed a foreign-body ingestion scoring system to help residents determine the appropriate course of actionin the emergency department. The assessment items included the patient's age, mood, and gastrointestinal symptoms, as well as the type, location, and size of the ingested foreign body. The pediatric patients were divided into three categories: observation at home (Class A), pediatrician consultation (Class B), and pediatrician consultation considering contrast-enhanced CT for possible gastrointestinal injury (Class C). RESULTS: The treatment of 158 children was evaluated using the coring system, 79 of whom had confirmed foreign body ingestion. Class A resulted in a higher rate of follow-up, whereas the rate of invasive treatment increased significantly when rated as Class B or C. Few cases of unnecessary invasive treatment arose, and the recommendations suggested by the scoring system closely matched the results obtained using the reference management algorithm. CONCLUSIONS: The novel scoring system will be useful to residents when considering the appropriate course of action to manage foreign body ingestion in pediatric patients.