Symptoms that express themselves through pain and discomfort in the stomach, nausea and other symptoms of this series may be a consequence of the presence of a foreign body in the gastric cavity. There are several ways of getting objects into the stomach zone. It is especially necessary to familiarize the parents of small children with this topic.
Description
Foreign bodies are any objects and formations( for example, stones), whose presence in the body cavity is considered an unnatural phenomenon. The problem is indicated by the code in accordance with ICD-10 - this is T18.
Causes of foreign bodies in the stomach
Objects of foreign origin get into the stomach due to such actions:
- The person accidentally swallowed a foreign object. Such troubles often occur:
- with children( in the case of adults),
- in people who can temporarily hold in their teeth needles, nails and other small things;
- in people with diseases of the nervous system,
- a person can accidentally swallow foreign objects after cold food, because at this point the sensitivity decreases;
- people with mental illnesses often swallow inedible objects.
- Penetrating wounds also create a precedent for foreign objects to enter the stomach cavity.
- If peptic ulcer develops towards perforation in the biliary tract( penetration of gallstones into the stomach).
- The body forms stones in the stomach - bezoar. It becomes possible, when in a stomach there are bones of fruit, fish bones and other provocateurs.
- Errors during surgical interventions, when surgeons forget small things in the stomach cavity.
Symptoms
Signs of the presence of foreign bodies in the stomach are different depending on the nature of foreign bodies.
If there are blunt objects in the stomach that are longer than 10 cm in length, then the body signals such manifestations:
- in the upper abdomen there is a feeling of heaviness,
- in the patient's stomach constantly aching blunt pain, after eating they become stronger;
- if there are several items, there may be such disorders:
- vomiting,
- decreased appetite,
- nausea,
- in the mouth there is an unpleasant taste;
- in case there was a pinching of the object by the gastric gatekeeper, then the symptoms appear:
- vomiting,
- pain in the epigastric zone of cramping;
- loss of gastric juice is added, related to this symptomatology:
- metabolic alkalosis( symptoms resulting from a shift in the blood reaction towards alkaline),
- hypokalemia,
- signs of dehydration,
- hypochloremia.
In cases where objects have sharp edges or tips, mechanical damage to the walls of the stomach is likely. This is manifested by the following signs:
- inflammation is possible in the wound sites,
- has necrotic phenomena,
- bleedings in small volumes in intensity,
- with permeation damage, manifestations of peritonitis are possible.
Symptoms of the presence of gallstones in the lumen of the stomach:
- chronic cholecystitis,
- signs of peptic ulcer,
- if the stone falls into the pylorus and closes the stomach, then symptoms of acute obstruction appear.
Symptoms of a foreign body in the stomach of a child
Children tend to swallow small items of toys, coins, pebbles, buttons. Most often these items come out naturally.
Signs that children should alert their parents to:
- persistent fever,
- nausea,
- abdominal pain,
- vomiting.
If there is still a suspicion that the child has swallowed a foreign object, it is necessary to inform this information urgently to the doctor so that the child comes under his supervision.
Diagnosis
When establishing the correct diagnosis, first of all, collect a medical history, anamnesis. It is important to understand whether it was noticed that an object was swallowed or any other useful information.
Diagnosis is clarified using:
- X-ray study,
- endoscopic methods - gastroscopy.
Most objects that accidentally enter the stomach are detectable for radiography. In some cases, the study is carried out using a contrast medium.
Treatment of
Small objects often leave without the help of doctors in natural ways.
Precedents, when items need to be retrieved using medical measures, account for 5% of cases in the total.
Large objects, according to the doctor's conclusion, are extracted from the stomach by the endoscopic method. They are fed from the stomach cavity to the outside by the gastroscope( through the manipulation channel).The tool that pulls the object is a wire loop or endoscopic forceps.
Bezoars are also extracted with an endoscope. Before the manipulation, the stones are crushed. If the walls of the stomach are perforated, then the endoscopic method to treat the presence of foreign objects in the stomach is contraindicated.
In cases where it is not possible to extract items by an endoscope because of the condition of the walls of the stomach or the features of the object that has fallen into its cavity, an operative procedure is prescribed. If the object is very large and still has sharp edges, then the operation is the only method of solving the problem.
Prevention
To avoid getting unwanted objects into the stomach, you should follow simple rules:
- Take your food slowly, try to talk less at this time.
- Abandon the habit during the execution of some work to keep small objects in the teeth, for example, needles or nails.
- Make sure that toys for small children do not have detachable or breakable small parts.
- Store needles and other small items in places where children can not reach.
- Use for sutures during surgical interventions suture material that resolves.
- In operations before the completion of the intervention process, specialists should carefully inspect the cavity to avoid the possibility of leaving small items in it.
Video about the clinical case of a foreign body in the stomach in a child: