injuries poisoning
Caustic Ingestion
Symptoms and Signs of Caustic Ingestion
Initial symptoms of caustic ingestion include drooling and dysphagia. In severe cases, pain, vomiting, and sometimes bleeding develop immediately in the mouth, throat, chest, or abdomen. Airway burns may cause coughing, tachypnea, or stridor. Swollen, erythematous tissue may be visible intraorally; however, caustic liquids may cause no intraoral burns despite serious injury farther down the gastrointestinal tract. Esophageal perforation may result in mediastinitis, with severe chest pain, tachycardia, fever, tachypnea, and shock. Gastric perforation may result in peritonitis. Esophageal or gastric perforation may occur within hours, after weeks, or any time in between. Esophageal strictures can develop over weeks, even if initial symptoms had been mild and treatment had been adequate. Strictures can result in esophageal shortening or narrowing as well as dysphagia and motility disorders. Survivors of caustic ingestions are at higher risk for development of Esophageal Cancer . 