Dry cell batteries

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Batteries - dry cell

If you suspect poisoning, seek emergency medical care immediately.

If there has been an ingestion of a button battery, DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. The person who ingested the battery will need immediate x-rays at a medical facility to make sure the battery is not lodged in the esophagus. Most swallowed batteries that pass through the esophagus will pass in the stool without complication. However, batteries lodged in the esophagus can cause esophageal erosion, and can cause a hole in the esophagus very quickly. Immediate emergency treatment is necessary after a battery is swallowed.

If the battery was swallowed, give water or milk.

If inhaled, take the patient outdoors to fresh air.

Determine the following information:

• The patient's age, weight, and condition
• The name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
• The time it was swallowed
• The amount swallowed

If you are in the United States, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

• Treatment of symptoms
• Monitoring of vital signs
• Upper GI endoscopy to retrieve a battery lodged in the esophagus

Full recovery is often possible if treated quickly. Serious problems are usually seen only following industrial accidents. Most household exposures (such as licking some liquid from a leaking battery) are minor.

Review Date: 05/10/2005
Reviewed By: William D. Whetstone M.D., Division of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.