Text Box: ENDOSCOPIC REMOVAL OF FOREIGN BODIES FROM GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT IN CHILDREN Jiang LR, Xu YR, Chen HF, Chen RT Shanghai Second Medical University Affiliated Xin Hua Hospital Shanghai Children’s Medical Center, Shanghai, China Objective: The ingestion of foreign bodies is a common emergency in children. This report advantages and indications for endoscopic removal of foreign bodies (FBs) from the gastrointestinal tract in children. Methods: Six children age mean (7M—8Y) with presented to our hospital with FBs ingestion from 2000.11.20 to 2001.4.4. Four of these children had excessive crying, anorexia and mild abdominal pain. FBs included pin, coin, screw driver etc. Olympus GIF-XQ240 electric gastroscope were used to remove 7 gastrointestinal tract FBs in 6 children. Results: Endoscopic removal of FBs from the gastrointestinal tract in children were all successful with no complications. Conclusion: Indications for removal of FBs from the gastrointestinal tract in children are: 1) all esophageal FBs, 2) and duodenal FBs if they are sharp, pointed, more than 4cm long or 2cm wide in young infants and children, 3) FBs containing toxic substances, 4) blunt objects after 2 weeks in the stomach or 1 week in the duodenum. All FBs impacted in the esophagus should be removed within 24 hours because of the risks of perforation and fistula formation. Batteries can cause corrosive injury to the esophagus within 4 hours. They should be removed as soon as possible. This procedure requires a trained and skilled pediatric endoscopist with a lot of patience and good team work. 1885