Acute Management in Corrosive Ingestion

Corrosive ingestion is an important health problem and medical emergency worldwide. It occurs by accident or by intention. Acids cause coagulation necrosis, and alkalis cause liquefaction necrosis. In the acute period, stabilization of the patient is most important. Airway assessment and prompt management are a priority for severe cases. Caustic substance reflux into the esophagus resulting in further damage should be prevented. The initial evaluation should be performed by endoscopy and graded according to the Zargar classification. Computed tomography (CT) should be used to assess injury to the esophagus because CT is non-invasive. For Zargar 3b injuries, views from both endoscopy and CT scans should be considered. Post-corrosive esophageal stricture is a complication that responds poorly to treatment. Research and development for stricture prevention are ongoing, especially for Zargar 2b and 3a cases.

Pyloric stricture after corrosive ingestion in children: an attempt to address the optimum management of this rarity

Corrosive ingestion in pediatric population can have devastating consequences. Pyloric stricture which is a rarer complication has not been discussed in details in existing literature. Whereas the presentation is more or less similar, a “case specific” approach may be required for the best outcome. We analyzed our series of eight patients to formulate a suitable approach to its management. This was a prospective observational study in the department of Pediatric Surgery in a tertiary health care centre in central India. Eight (n=8) patients with corrosive injuries exclusive to the pyloric antrum were analyzed with respect to the corrosive ingested, symptomatology, nutritional status, investigation findings, surgery undertaken and follow up. Total number of patients in our study were eight. Male -7 and female-1, mean age of 6.8 years, ranging from 4 and 10 years, most common agent was acid, ingested accidentally. Period of development of gastric outlet obstruction was 23 days, range between 11 days and 33 days. Initially presented with odynophagia but later developed features of gastric outlet obstruction. Procedure performed were Heineke Mickulicz pyloroplasty and Billroth I gastroduodenostomy with FJ depending on the intra operative findings. No significant post operative complications were encountered on follow up, all the patients had improved general condition and gained adequate weight. No re do surgeries were performed. Corrosive injury of the UGI tract is not uncommon in children. Pyloric stricture as a complication is relatively rare. Parents may seek consultation late only after the child has lost reasonable amount of weight. UGI Endoscopy and UGI contrast study are indispensable to evaluate the severity of damage and formulate the optimum plan of surgery. Early surgical intervention gives excellent result. Both Pyloroplasty and Billroth I anastomosis are safe with low morbidity and excellent long term outcome.

The safety and efficacy of the trans-umbilical approach for pyloroplasty in the management of post-acid corrosive gastric outlet obstruction in children

Background Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) may follow acid corrosive ingestion. Several surgical techniques have been reported after the failure of endoscopic dilatation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of Heinecke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty (HMP) through a circum-umbilical skin incision in children with pyloric stricture after accidental acid corrosive ingestion. Results Seven patients were males and 4 were females, their ages ranged from 17 months to 6 years at the time of definitive treatment. The surgery was completed successfully in all patients through the circum-umbilical incision. Vertical extension of skin incision was needed in one patient. The pylorus was grossly affected in 9 patients. Both pylorus and gastric antrum were involved in 2 patients. Nine patients had an excellent postoperative course with the cessation of vomiting and progressive weight gain. One patient developed postoperative recurrent stricture treated by gastrojejunostomy. Another patient with associated esophageal stricture responded to repeated endoscopic dilatation for the esophageal stricture and pyloroplasty for the pyloric stricture. No surgical site infection or wound dehiscence occurred in any patient. Conclusion Heinecke-Mikulicz pyloroplasty through a circum-umbilical approach is both feasible and safe in the majority of children with post-acid corrosive GOO. It is associated with satisfactory wound healing and excellent cosmetic outcome. Different techniques are recommended in cases of severe pyloric stricture associated with significant proximal gastric antral scarring.

133 SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF ESOPHAGEAL STENOSIS DUE TO CORROSIVE SUBSTANCES

Corrosive ingestion is a significant challenge for healthcare support. Limited data is available regarding the best treatment, and there is still a lack of consensus about the optimal surgical approach and its outcomes. This study aims to show a single-institution experience of surgical treatment of esophageal stenosis due to corrosive substance ingestion and review the current literature. Methods A retrospective review, including demographics, psychiatric profile, surgical procedures, and outcomes, is described. A systematic review of the literature was performed in PubMed. Results In total, 27 surgical procedures for esophageal stenosis due to corrosive substances ingestion were performed from 2010 to 2019. Depression and drug abuse were diagnosed in 30% and 22% of the included patients, respectively. The incidence rate of cancer in patients with corrosive esophageal stenosis is 701.7–874.1 per 1,000,000 person-years, and the cancer latency between corrosion ingestion to carcinoma is 10–58 years. Esophagectomy and esophageal bypass were performed in 13 and 14 patients, respectively. No 30-day mortality was recorded. Conclusion The surgical intervention either by esophagectomy or esophageal bypass seems to show a high success rate. However, the outcomes depend on a high-quality multidisciplinary network of esophageal and thoracic surgeons, intensivists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and nutritional teams.