Emergency Room Foley Catheter Retrieval of an Oesophageal Foreign Body In A Low-Resource Setting: A Case Series.

December 20, 2025 torgjournaladmin 0
Categories : Case Report , Emergency Room , Minimally Invasive Surgery , Original Research , Paediatric Surgery , The Operating Room Global , The Operating Room Global Journal , TORGJ , TORGJ Vol 1 Issue 2
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Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2509006

Authors: Ubraine Njineck Wunde1,2*, Tiokeng Drem’s Taillor Fomekong4, Brandon Tita Tembi Ticha3, Joshua Cho Mbony1, Elisabeth Attha1, Fidelis Nyaah1,
Fabrice Tiencheu Tim5,6

1Presbyterian Health Complex Nsimeyong Yaoundé, Cameroon.
2Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
3Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health,  Emory University, USA.
4Nkambe Regional Hospital Annexe, Cameroon.
5Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bamenda, Cameroon.
6Yaounde Central Hospital, Cameroon.

Cite:

  • APA (7th edition): Wunde, U. N., Fomekong, T. D. T., Ticha, B. T. T., Mbony, J. C., Attha, E., Nyaah, F., & Tim, F. T. (2025, December 20). Emergency room Foley catheter retrieval of an oesophageal foreign body in a low-resource setting: A case series. The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), 1(2). https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2509006
  • Harvard: Wunde, U.N., Fomekong, T.D.T., Ticha, B.T.T., Mbony, J.C., Attha, E., Nyaah, F. and Tim, F.T., 2025. Emergency room Foley catheter retrieval of an oesophageal foreign body in a low-resource setting: A case series. The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), 1(2). Published 20 December. Available at: https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2509006
  • Vancouver: Wunde, Ubraine Njineck, et al. “Emergency Room Foley Catheter Retrieval of an Oesophageal Foreign Body in a Low-Resource Setting: A Case Series.” The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), vol. 1, no. 2, 20 Dec. 2025, https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2509006
  • MLA (9th edition): Wunde, Ubraine Njineck, et al. “Emergency Room Foley Catheter Retrieval of an Oesophageal Foreign Body in a Low-Resource Setting: A Case Series.” The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ), vol. 1, no. 2, 20 Dec. 2025, https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2509006
  • Chicago (Author–Date): Wunde, Ubraine Njineck, Tiokeng Drem’s Taillor Fomekong, Brandon Tita Tembi Ticha, Joshua Cho Mbony, Elisabeth Attha, Fidelis Nyaah, and Fabrice Tiencheu Tim. 2025. “Emergency Room Foley Catheter Retrieval of an Oesophageal Foreign Body in a Low-Resource Setting: A Case Series.” The Operating Room Global Journal (TORGJ) 1 (2), December 20. https://doi.org/10.64573/torgj2509006

Corresponding Author*:
Ubraine Njineck Wunde, MD, MPH
[email protected]
Declaration:
Authors’ Contribution:
Equal contributions.
Conflict of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest related to the content, data sources, or affiliations presented in this paper.
Funding:
No funding received by the authors.

Article History:
Received:  15-12-2025
Accepted: 17-12-2025
Available Online: 20-12-2025
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ABSTRACT
Introduction: Infants are the most vulnerable population to oesophageal foreign bodies(EFB). They explore their environment with reflex hand-to-mouth gestures, putting them at even more risk. The presentation may be obvious and symptomatic, such as airway compromise, or silent, with subtle signs like drooling or refusal to feed. Therefore, the vigilance and awareness of parents and guardians are crucial for rapid diagnosis and management.
Case Series: We present two infants, a 12-month-old male and a 9-month-old male, with no relevant medical histories, brought in by their mothers with similar complaints of drooling and suspicion of ingestion of a coin at two different hospitals. A thorough clinical examination ruled out any signs of respiratory compromise; consequently, a chest X-ray was performed for both patients, revealing a coin at the thoracic inlet. Physicians trained in the concept of retrieval of EFB under mild sedation with a Foley catheter resulted in the successful retrieval of approximately 24mm coins with accompanying symptom resolution. 
Intervention: While endoscopy remains the gold standard for EFB removal, alternative methods like Foley catheter extraction can be effective in selected cases. These cases highlight the usefulness of the Foley catheter method as a cost-effective, minimally invasive alternative for EFB removal in resource-limited settings. Proper patient selection, imaging confirmation, and procedural expertise are essential to minimize risks.
Conclusion: This technique is particularly suitable for blunt, radiopaque objects located in the upper oesophagus and for cooperative patients. These cases emphasise the importance of adaptable clinical strategies in emergency care, especially where endoscopic resources are limited.
Keywords: Childproofing, Esophageal Foreign Body, ENT, Emergency, Cameroon, Case Series

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