Paediatric Gastroenterology: Management of Foreign Body Ingestion in Children

Understand how to respond effectively to foreign body ingestion in children

When a child ingests a foreign body, timely and informed action is critical.

On this three-week course from the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN), learn how to administer life-saving paediatric care for foreign body ingestion. This course is free to join for three weeks, with an optional upgrade cost.

By the end, you’ll feel equipped to handle these critical situations with confidence and precision.

Promptly identify and manage foreign body ingestion when it matters most

Foreign body ingestion in children poses significant challenges for healthcare professionals. Precision is crucial in determining interventions.

You’ll learn how to manage the ingestion of button batteries, magnets, impacted food, and sharp, blunt, corrosive, or superabsorbent objects.

Moreover, you’ll discover the different treatment pathways and tools needed to identify and treat this wide variety of foreign body ingestions.

Administer life-saving care to children facing a wide variety of ingestions and complications.

With this foundation, you’ll be able to confidently recommend and administer treatment and interventions for children who’ve ingested a foreign body.

You’ll also delve into discussions on prevention and how to collaborate with surgical, ENT, and anaesthesia teams on a case-by-case basis. This multi-disciplinary management and follow-up is often necessary for ensuring optimal patient care.

Learn from the healthcare experts at ESPGHAN

Throughout this course, you’ll gain insights from ESPGHAN’s team of experts, and learn from real-world experiences in paediatric gastroenterology and endoscopy.

To support your learning, you’ll review in-depth case studies and have access to additional resources from ESPGHAN.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals who may encounter children suspected of ingesting foreign bodies. This includes paediatric GI doctors, emergency doctors, family doctors, and general paediatricians.

This course is designed for healthcare professionals who may encounter children suspected of ingesting foreign bodies. This includes paediatric GI doctors, emergency doctors, family doctors, and general paediatricians.

• Identify the signs and symptoms of foreign body ingestion in children.
• Explain the steps to manage ingestion of button batteries, magnets, impacted food, and objects that are sharp-pointed, blunt, superabsorbent, or corrosive.
• Describe how to deal with complications in foreign body ingestion scenarios in children.
• Demonstrate understanding of the appropriate indications, timing, and equipment for endoscopic intervention, depending on the child and the foreign body.
• Apply knowledge of imaging studies (e.g. X-ray, CT, and MRI) to the diagnosis, management, and monitoring of cases of foreign body ingestion.
• Collaborate with surgical, ENT, and anaesthesia teams promptly and appropriately when managing certain foreign body ingestion cases.
• Discuss how to raise awareness of the risks of foreign body ingestion and help prevent cases in children.