Outlook

For the majority of cases of disk battery ingestion, conservative therapy is all that is needed. The battery will pass on its own.

• A disk battery lodged in the esophagus is rare and occurs in less than 1% of cases. Only 2 cases of 2382 studied had a major outcome. Both were young children with a large cell (20-23 mm) lodged in the esophagus.

• When a battery narrows or blocks the esophagus, severe bleeding or abnormal passages from the esophagus to other organs may occur. All can be aided by surgery, but outcomes can be severe.

• Heavy metal poisoning, while theoretically possible, has not been clinically reported.