Swallowed foreign body: Is interventional management always required?

A retrospective study of 20 cases diagnosed as "swallowed foreign body" seen over a five-year period (July 1993-June 1998) at Asir Central Hospital was performed. Six (30%) were children and 14 (70%) adults. In the children, five were boys and one was a girl. Objects swallowed included metal nails. coins, hair pins and a chain pendant. In the adult group, eight (57%) were males and six (43%) females. Objects swallowed included sewing needles, sharp blades, pieces of glass, paper clips and gravel. The swallowed foreign body in all the patients passed innocuously through the gastrointestinal tract in two to ten (average 4.7) days. Our method of treatment consisted of giving high fiber diet, Metamucil or lactulose and liquid paraffin. There was no mortality.