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Using data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. emergency departments, researchers examined battery-related visits among children from 1990 through 2009. They found that an estimated 3289 such visits occur each year, most often among children aged 5 years or younger (nearly 80% of cases). The rate of visits rose over the study period, with the greatest increases seen in recent years. Ingestion accounted for roughly 75% of visits, followed by nasal cavity insertion, mouth exposure, and ear canal insertion. Button batteries were most frequently implicated. Most patients (92%) were sent home after treatment; no patient died.
The authors note that ingested button batteries can cause damage within 2 hours if lodged in the esophagus, an…