Management of a Patient with Foreign Body Ingestion at Ndola Teaching Hospital, Zambia

Abstract

Foreign body (FB) ingestion refers to intentional swallowing of indigestible, non-nutritious solid substances. It is more common in children and psychiatry adult patients. Adult psychiatry patients have the highest incidence of recurrent ingestion of multiple FB that results from poor impulse control by care-givers and as a response to stress. Foreign bodies longer than 6cm, wider than 2.5cm and sharp edged are unlikely to pass without getting imparted or causing perforation. These warrant removal by endoscopy where available or laparotomy. We
report on the management of a case of intentional swallowing of multiple FBs by a known psychiatric patient at Ndola Teaching Hospital, in  Ndola, Zambia.