Medical Insider – Dr. Ria P. Maslog
Corrosive Esophagitis
The intentional or unintentional ingestion of household cleaning products is the common cause of this injury: where 70% alkalis, 20% acids and the remaining are bleaches, detergents, microwave overheated baby bottles and button mercuric oxide batteries are the common agents.
Since alkalis has no taste, a child may ingest a significant amount.
Alkalis, when ingested, may produce a severe, deep, liquefaction necrosis that will affect all layers of the esophagus.
Acidic agents include toilet bowl cleaners, drain decloggers, rust and stain removers.
These acidic agents taste bitter, thus only a little amount is ingested, however, they still result to respiratory symptoms, coagulative necrosis and thick eschar.
Both ingestion of alkalis and acids can produce severe gastritis.
Clinically, the patient may have salivation, refusal to drink, nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, oral burns or ulcerations and fever.
Esophageal strictures may develop over a few weeks and may cause dysphagia and weight loss.
The peak age incidence of accidental corrosive ingestion is less than 5 years of age.
We should be very careful at home making the accessibility of these agents impossible for our children.
The agents should never be transferred to bottles of drinks and juices, and in easy to open containers.
Prevention is a must to avoid this corrosive esophagitis.