However the injury from batteries is real. Young children and pets are not able to realize the dangers of battery ingestion. Unfortunately, the incidence of battery ingestion has increased as use of button batteries in household products has also increased. In the United States, nearly 2,000 people of all ages unintentionally swallow button batteries each year.

In 1982 the National Button Battery Ingestion Hotline and Registry (NBBIHR) was created to collect data about battery ingestion. According to its data, 62 percent of ingestions occurred in children younger than 5, with most between 1 and 2 years old. The next largest number of ingestions was 14 percent which occurred in 6 to 12 years old.

Ingestion was slightly more common in boys (59 percent) than in girls (41 percent). In 52 percent of cases, the batteries were ingested immediately after removal from a product. In 41 percent of cases, the batteries were already loose, sitting out or discarded. In only 5 percent of cases were the batteries removed directly from the packaging before ingestion.

Batteries were used for hearing aids in 45 percent of cases; watches, 16 percent; toys, 14 percent; calculators, 9 percent; and camera equipment, 4 percent.

In 1996 the sale of mercury oxide batteries was banned in the United States. Most hearing aid batteries are zinc air, which are not toxic. Therefore, heavy metal poisoning is usually not a concern when these batteries are ingested. However, batteries can still cause serious injury if they become lodged in the esophagus.

Lodged batteries can cause esophageal tears and burns, which can lead to severe tissue damage. Lodged batteries also can cause difficulty swallowing and breathing, which can be life-threatening.

Many children are witnessed swallowing a battery, or they later tell a caregiver that they swallowed a battery. Anyone who is believed to have swallowed a battery, regardless of age, should seek immediate emergency medical attention. Pet owners should also seek veterinary attention if a pet is believed to have swallowed a battery. Radiographic imaging will be necessary to determine if the battery has lodged in the esophagus.

Call the NBBIRH collect at (202) 625-3333 or the Poison Control Center toll-free at 1-800-222-1222 to determine management of patients with button battery ingestion.

Because of the risk of battery ingestion, hearing aids for children should be ordered with tamper resistant battery doors. Adult caregivers should maintain a child's batteries and hearing aids until the child is old enough to care for the hearing aids himself.

Adults who own hearing aids should not change batteries or dispose of batteries in front of children. Hearing aids and batteries should be kept out of the reach of children and pets when they are not being used. Batteries should not be kept in a medicine cabinet or container in which they can become easily confused with pills. These simple precautions when using button batteries can help save a life.

By Danielle Tousinau
http://www.timesnews.net/communityArticle.dna?_StoryID=3611772