5 Things You Should Know About Caustic Ingestion

Corrosive ingestion is a potentially lethal event that affects 60,000 people in the USA and 15,000 people in the UK every year. Accidental ingestion by children accounts for 80% of the cases worldwide whereas in adults most ingestions are intentional. CT scan is considered a reliable and reproducible examination that enables transmural digestive necrosis assessment, improving the selection of patients for surgery. Patients with transmural necrosis should undergo surgery as it may be life-saving. Late sequelae are usually treated by endoscopy. Emergency management and treatment require a multidisciplinary approach.