Accidental ingestion of a toothbrush!
A case is reported of a 16-year-old girl who accidentally swallowed a toothbrush, which was safely extracted under local anaesthesia using a fibre-optic endoscope. The technique described is safe, and can be adapted for the extraction of a variety of foreign bodies from the oesophagus and the stomach. Guidelines are presented for the management of ingested foreign bodies, based on a review of the literature.
D000061:Accidents, Home; D000293:Adolescent; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020699:Gastroscopes; D005773:Gastroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography