Ingestion of Caustic Substances in Adults: A Review Article

Background: Ingestion of caustic agents can cause serious damages of theupper gastrointestinal tract and in some cases this kind of poisoning may havefatal outcomes.Acute caustic intoxications are one of the main problems in the modern clinicaltoxicology since they mainly affect young people with psychic disorders, suicidalintent, and alcohol addiction.Text: In diagnostic evaluation of this kind of poisoning, different procedures areused. Today’s golden standard for determination of the grade and extent of thelesion is esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) performed in the first 12-24 hoursfollowing corrosive ingestion.In some patients, some late complications, such as esophageal stenosis andgastric stenosis, which are the most common, as well as carcinoma of the uppergastrointestinal tract, which is rarely seen, can be detected.Acute caustic poisonings are treated with specific kinds of protocols. According tothem, first, an attempt is made to neutralize the poison. Combinations ofantibiotics, anti-secretory drugs, and collagen synthesis inhibitors are used. As asupport therapy, nutritional liquids can be utilized, and in the most unmanageablecases, esophageal dilatation, stent placement and surgery are used.Conclusion: In the future, caustic poisonings will remain a serious socio-medicalissue, due to the difficult clinical presentation, expensive diagnostic protocol,extended hospitalization, and possible permanent disability.