Studies exploring demographic factors associated with foreign body (FB) ingestion are typically uncommon in adults, resulting in limited information available in the current literature.We aimed to identify demographic factors associated with FB ingestion and to evaluate predictors of successful endoscopic removal (ER). 

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the SDLD OPD and Endoscopy Suite, Department of Gastroenterology, SDLD, IPGMER & SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, India, from July 2021 to December 2022. Consecutive patients of all ages presenting with clinical and/or radiological evidence of FB ingestion were included. Data on demographic, clinical, and socio-economic factors were collected. All patients underwent evaluation and endoscopic management as per standard protocols. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using MS Excel and Epi Info™ 7.2.2.2, and p<0.05 was considered significant.  

The patients who met the inclusion criteria had a median age of 6.25 years (range 0.2-75.0) and 58.6% males. Socio-economic status distribution was predominantly lower-middle (40.23%) and upper-lower (31.05%). Most patients (88.5%) presented with FB ingestion via the oral route. The time since ingestion varied, with 44.83% presenting after >72 hours. The most common FBs were coins (34.48%) and meat bones/dentures (11.49% each). A significant (p=0.00058) association between the individuals' denture ingestion and the endoscopic outcome was observed. Sharp objects accounted for 35.63% of cases. Dysphagia and odynophagia were reported in 29.89% and 21.83%, respectively, showing a strong association (p < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis identified age as the only significant predictor of successful ER (odds ratio [OR] 0.96, p = 0.0008), indicating a slight decrease in removal success with increasing age. Socio-economic status, sex, time since ingestion, and size of the food bolus were not significantly predictive. The predictive model integrating multiple factors demonstrated good discrimination with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.79 (sensitivity- 65.5%, specificity-83.3%). Models with socio-economic status or sex alone had poor predictive power (AUC 0.52 and 0.51, respectively). Age alone as a predictor showed an AUC of 0.73 (sensitivity-70.5%, specificity-72.2%), comparable to the full model. Endoscopic success in old patients (> 50 years) was significantly lower (46.7%). Logistic models exhibited modest discriminatory capacity (AUC 0.75 and 0.589), suggesting restricted prognostic significance for endoscopic outcomes in the older population.

In this cohort, younger age was the sole significant predictor of successful ER of FBs, with removal success decreasing slightly with increasing age. The predictive model demonstrated good discrimination (AUC 0.79), with age alone performing comparably well (AUC 0.73). These findings highlight the importance of age as a clinical factor in endoscopic management of FB ingestion and suggest that ER is a generally effective procedure regardless of other demographic variables.Further research may focus on strategies to enhance timely presentation and optimize management protocols in diverse patient populations.