Clinical Characteristics of Geriatric Patients with Digestive System Foreign Body in Emergency Center

Background: In patients with foreign bodies in their digestive systems, old age is associated with higher rates of incidence and complications. Therefore, we compared the characteristics of geriatric patients with nongeriatric patients who were found to have with foreign bodies in their digestive systems. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 497 cases of foreign bodies in the digestive system over the period from 2010 through 2014. Patients were divided into two groups: nongeriatric (20-64 years, n=404) and geriatric (≥65 years, n=93). Results: The geriatric patients had more underlying diseases (12.0% vs. 3.0%), took longer to arrive at the hospital (8.92± 21.31 hours vs. 4.50±14.76 hours, p<0.001), and had higher complication rates (4.3% vs. 0.2%, p<0.001), and longer hospital stays (4.88±4.26 days vs. 3.08±2.97 days, p<0.001). The following factors were significantly different between the geriatric and nongeriatric patients: type (p<0.001) and the locations (p=0.001) of the foreign bodies and their management (p=0.001). In the geriatric patients, the detected foreign bodies were more frequently located in the esophagus (46.0% vs. 17.4%), especially in the upper esophagus (30.0% vs. 14.5%). Smooth-shaped foreign bodies (18.0% vs. 5.0%) and food lumps (16.0% vs. 3.3%) were also frequently detected in the geriatric patients. Conclusion: In comparison with nongeriatric patients, the geriatric patients had more smooth-shaped shaped foreign bodies such as food lumps in their esophagi, and this patient group also showed higher rates of admission and complications. Thus, differences between geriatric and nongeriatric patients should be considered carefully in evaluating foreign bodies in the digestive system to prevent late diagnosis and further complications.