Akzidentielle und suizidale Verätzungen des oberen Gastrointestinaltraktes

Caustic ingestion can cause sever damages. Immediate management should be directed to airway securing, intravenous fluid replacement and pain relief. Early endoscopy is regarded as the most appropriate method based on which further clinical decisions are made. The effectiveness of dilution by milk or water has not been proven and might aggravate the damage. The use of systemic corticosteroids should also be abandoned as they do not prevent the development of strictures and may cause serious adverse effects. The most important prognostic factor concerning early mortality is the delayed diagnosis and therapy of full thickness esophageal or gastric necrosis. Patients with evidence of perforation require immediate surgery. Since it can be very difficult to classify the exact extent of damage intraoperatively according to the endoscopic findings, a resection of all high grad damaged segments should be performed in doubt. Reconstructive surgery should not be performed earlier then 4 months after the initial event. The used technique depends on the extent of the initial damage and surgery. Development of strictures is the most important physical consequence in burned areas in survivors. Short strictures are mainly treated by endoscopic dilatation. In cases of higher graded strictures, when repeated dilatations are often ineffective, early resection should planned. Because of the high incidence of esophageal cancer among victims of caustic strictures, routine endoscopic follow up is recommended.