CASE REPORTS   

Chirurgia 2009 April;22(2):113-15

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Foreign body ingestions in the mentally ill and handicapped: the importance of early intervention

Celik S., Kalayci A., Isik K., Dolanmaz D., Gunhan O.

Department of Surgery Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Springfield, IL, USA

Most ingested objects pass through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously over the course of time and any invasive intervention for their retrieval is unnecessary. It is, however, important to follow these patients for the development of complications within the gastrointestinal tract like obstruction, perforation, or bleeding. Certain patient populations such as adults with psychiatric illnesses and mental disability are difficult to follow clinically for these complications. Therefore, depending on the size and nature of the ingested object, these patients may need to be considered for early endoscopic or operative intervention.