Non food foreign body injuries

Abstract Rationale and aim The aim of the present study is to acquire a better understanding of Non Food Foreign Bodies (NFFB) injuries in children with particular regard to the quantification of the risk of complications and hospitalization associated with patient characteristics, FB features, FB location and circumstances of the accident, as emerging from the SUSY Safe Web-Registry. Methods The present study uses data provided by the SUSY Safe Project, a DG SANCO co-funded project which was aimed to collect as many scientific data as possible regarding Foreign Bodies (FB) injuries in children aged 0–14 years and to serve as a basis for a knowledge-based consumer protection activity in the Europe market. FBs were characterized by size, shape and consistency. Descriptive statistics (absolute and relative number or median, I and III quartile according to the categorical or continuous variable, respectively) were calculated for each considered non food item characteristics; FB features distribution by children class age and site of obstruction were assessed. Two different outcomes were considered: hospitalization and complication. FBs which most frequently cause complications were identified. The association between children age, adult presence, object characteristics and outcomes was computed using crude odds ratios and the related 95% confidence intervals. Results 16,878 FB injuries in children aged 0–14 yrs have been recorded in the Susy Safe databases. FB type was specified in 10,564 cases; among them 7820 (74%) were due to a non food item. Almost two thirds of injuries occurred in patients 3 years or more old. 53% of patients were males, while 47% were females. When injury happened, the great part of children (86%) was playing. Almost 30% (2339) of injuries happened under adults’ supervision. Complications occurred in 299 cases and the most documented was infections (10% of cases) followed by perforation (5%). Conclusions The inhalation/aspiration of a FB, as well as the ingestion and the insertion in the orifices of a FB may result in significant morbidity. Particularly, long-standing or hazardous foreign bodies can cause extensive damage. Some objects, because of their composition, contour, or location, are particularly hazardous: for instance, objects with sharp edges pose a significant risk of laceration and perforation, while fragments of toys have been found only in 2 cases. Parents are frequently unconscious of hazard related with some objects an