“Insert-Coin”: A Prospective Study of Coin Ingestion in Children of Southern Italy

INTRODUCTION:Coins are the most commonly ingested foreign bodies. When they get stuck in the distal esophagus, there is no general agreement about the timing of their removal because some of them may spontaneously migrate into the stomach, no longer requiring removal. We aimed at evaluating the gastric spontaneous passage of esophageal-retained coins, as well as complications.METHODS:Children admitted for coin ingestion were enrolled.RESULTS:Eight hundred seven children were enrolled. Among the medium-distal esophageal retained coins, we reported a spontaneous gastric dislocation in 65%, with no further need for endoscopy.DISCUSSION:When coins are trapped in the middle/lower esophagus, we suggest withholding the procedure for at least 6-12 hours, especially for older children, because 2/3 pass spontaneously, not requiring endoscopic removal.