Gastrointestinal Foreign Body Overview
Another name for Gastrointestinal Foreign Body is Swallowed Foreign Body.
What is a swallowed foreign body?
A person with a swallowed foreign body has swallowed an object. The object may be stuck in the esophagus, or the object may have reached the stomach. About 80 percent of reported cases of a swallowed foreign body occur in children. 
What are the symptoms of a swallowed foreign body?
The most common symptom of a swallowed foreign body is the sensation that something is stuck in the esophagus. Additional symptoms of a swallowed foreign body include difficulty swallowing, drooling, gagging, vomiting, sore throat, chest pain.
How does the doctor treat a swallowed foreign body?
Most swallowed foreign bodies pass through the esophagus, stomach, and intestines without treatment. Treatment for a swallowed foreign body may include waiting for the object to pass, or using a flexible fiberoptic scope to remove the object. Occasionally, surgery is required to remove the object.
Continue to Gastrointestinal Foreign Body Incidence
Last Updated: Aug 23, 2010 References
Authors: Stephen J. Schueler, MD; John H. Beckett, MD; D. Scott Gettings, MD
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