Video Laryngoscope Assistance in Button Battery Retrieval

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion remains a common cause of pediatric emergency surgery with button battery ingestion of particular concern. Newer, higher power lithium batteries can cause catastrophic damage of the gastrointestinal tract through erosion of mucosa into surrounding structures. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are paramount. We present a case of an 11-month-old with a button battery lodged in the proximal esophagus. The extraction was difficult and only made possible with the assistance of a video laryngoscope. We make the case for more routine usage of video laryngoscopy for removal of foreign bodies in the upper esophagus.