Have you ever noticed the amount of
toys or products that use those small harmless looking button batteries? Those
flat silver discs used in toys like remote control cars, musical greeting
cards, bathroom scales, watches, flameless candles and many other types of home
electronics. Some are lithium batteries in which pose the greatest potential
for harm. There is an average of 3,500 button battery ingestions reported
annually to Poison Control Centers. Swallowing batteries is not a new trend for
children, elderly adults, or pets to ingest. The concern is over the years is
the development of stronger, larger lithium cell batteries, increases the risk
of potential severe complications to the individual following the ingestion.
Most parents and adults are unaware of the potential for danger from these
little items.
Deaths from battery ingestions are
rare, per the poison center information there were 10 documented deaths in the
past 6 years. Small children, elderly adults, and pets may view the battery as
candy, medication, or food. The greatest concern is if the battery gets lodged
in the esophagus. The battery has low voltage current that can be completed if
it comes in contact with the right environment (a throat or esophagus), and
cause severe damage; burns, erosions. One of the physicians from the Journal of
Pediatrics did a test, he uses a hot dog and inserted a button battery in it to
get an idea how it would react. The hot dog casing is similar to the esophagus
of a human; the battery cooked the hot dog.
Possible complications from an
ingestion of the battery, is the risk of getting lodged in the vocal cords or esophagus.
This can cause serious injury to the vocal cords and digestive tract. Depending
on the size of the battery the greater the risk, the larger the battery
increase chance for serious injuries. The button battery has popular appeal and
the manufacturing industry has shifted towards using this more frequently.
Federal safety rules require toys that use the batteries to have a battery
compartment that requires the use of screws as a deterrent for access to
children. Unfortunately there are not such regulations or rules for devices intended
for adult use, bathroom scales, watches, greeting cards, flameless candles or
other electronic devices.
Children and pets will find the
battery loose and ingest it without an adult even being aware. The common age
of ingestion in children is 6. Elderly adults can also be at risk for ingestion
of a button battery, thinking its medication when in fact it may be a hearing
aid battery. There is a 2 hour window following battery ingestion before
symptoms may be observed before complications can occur. Once burning occurs
the damage may continue even when the battery has been removed. A majority of
the time the ingestions are not witnessed. Children have been able to breathe with
a disc battery in the airway; it is not an obvious ingestion and the child will
not appear in distress. Children or pets may present with symptoms that are
nonspecific; coughing, wheezing, vomiting, drooling, and refusing to eat are
possible symptoms. This can be diagnosed as something else such as stomach flu
or pneumonia. Information for handling ingestion
in children, elderly, and pets is similar.
Tips for battery
safety
- Search your home, and any place a child has potential to go for any device or gadget that may use disc lithium batteries
- Secure disc lithium battery controlled devices out of sight and reach of small children. Keep loose batteries locked up or in a safe area.
- Pass the information on to family members, babysitters, friends, and caregivers these important tips.
What to do is a disc
battery has been ingested
- Go to a local emergency room immediately. Inform health care providers of your concern that your child may have ingested a disc battery; if possible provide the identification number found on the battery package.
- Do not let the child eat or drink anything until a chest x-ray is completed to determine if a battery is present.
- Do not induce vomiting
For more information
contact:
- National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 202-625-3333
- Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222
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