Bacteremia Associated With a Toothpick Lodged in the Duodenal Wall

Toothpick ingestion and perforation of the gastrointestinal tract, although a very rare phenomenon, carries a very high mortality risk. Most cases of toothpick ingestion remain unnoticed until very late. The symptoms are often vague, with the most common being abdominal pain. Any obscure case of abd...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.e33888
Main Authors: Khan, Shahbaz, Ullah, Shakir, Anwar, Masroor, Athwani, Ravi, Nawab, Khalid
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Abscesses
Antibiotics
Blood
Case reports
Endoscopy
Fistula
Foreign bodies
Gastroenterology
Internal Medicine
Literature reviews
Medical imaging
Medicine
Pain
Small intestine
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Summary:Toothpick ingestion and perforation of the gastrointestinal tract, although a very rare phenomenon, carries a very high mortality risk. Most cases of toothpick ingestion remain unnoticed until very late. The symptoms are often vague, with the most common being abdominal pain. Any obscure case of abdominal pain with bacteremia must be investigated for foreign body ingestion and perforation. A CT scan is the best initial diagnostic modality for toothpick perforation but has low sensitivity with laparoscopy, and endoscopy is the preferred diagnostic tool. No single bacterium is involved in bacteremia due to toothpick ingestion. Surgical or endoscopic removal of the impacted toothpick along with prompt antibiotic therapy leads to excellent outcomes. If left untreated or in case of a late diagnosis, it may lead to life-threatening consequences. Here, we present a case of a 44-year-old man who had ingested a toothpick that pierced through and was lodged in the duodenal wall, leading to bacteremia. The patient was successfully treated and discharged.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.33888