A 4-year-old girl, Camila Romero from California is in critical condition after accidentally swallowing a button battery, resulting in severe internal injuries. The case, first reported by ABC News, highlights the life-threatening risks associated with button battery ingestion in children.
According to reports, Camila suffered extensive damage to her throat and upper respiratory system and is currently in a coma as she continues to fight for her life.
As reported, Camila’s parents, Cassandra Tafolla and Hugo Romero did not immediately realize that she had swallowed a battery. Like many such cases, the ingestion was unwitnessed, and symptoms were initially nonspecific. They were under the impression their child's symptoms were of some worsening flu.
It was only after medical evaluation and imaging, including an X-ray, that the presence of the button battery was identified. By this time, significant internal injury had already occurred.
Medical experts note that delayed recognition is common in such cases, often leading to worse outcomes.
Unlike typical cases where ingested objects pass through the food pipe (esophagus), Camila’s injury was more severe because the battery entered the airway.
Dr. Harman Chawla, indicate that the battery lodged near the carina, the point where the trachea divides into the lungs leading to extensive damage to the windpipe and surrounding structures.
This location significantly complicates both removal and recovery, as the airway is highly sensitive and critical for breathing.
See also: Samsung Galaxy Ring Battery Swells, User Hospitalized at Airport
Explaining the medical complexity, US board certified, Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, MD Pediatrics, noted that button battery ingestion can result in corrosive alkaline injury, leading to rapid tissue damage.
He explained that the severity of injury in button battery ingestion depends largely on the duration of contact between the battery and the surrounding tissues, as well as the specific mucosal surface exposed. Prolonged contact can trigger significant inflammatory reactions, which may lead to long-term complications such as fibrosis and airway narrowing. In airway-related cases, foreign bodies typically tend to enter the right lung due to anatomical alignment.
If the battery had migrated deeper into the lungs, its removal would have been considerably more complex. Conversely, had it passed through the esophagus into the stomach, retrieval would have been relatively easier.
"In this case, the battery’s position near the carina significantly increased the risk of serious complications, including airway perforation, severe inflammation, and even pneumothorax."Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, MD Pediatrics
"To support breathing and facilitate healing, an endotracheal tube has been placed above the affected region, which may also explain the need for sedation during management."
According to research published in the PubMed Central1:
Button batteries can cause caustic injury within as little as 2 hours
The mechanism involves an alkaline reaction leading to liquefactive necrosis
Damage may continue even after removal, causing delayed complications
Symptoms are often vague, making diagnosis challenging
Prompt removal, usually via endoscopy is critical. Newer management strategies include the use of honey or sucralfate prior to removal and acetic acid irrigation during procedures to reduce tissue damage.
Button batteries are commonly found in everyday items such as:
Toys
Remote controls
Watches
Hearing aids
Despite their small size, they pose a significant risk, especially to young children.
Button battery ingestion remains a critical pediatric emergency, with outcomes heavily dependent on the speed of diagnosis and treatment.
Reference
Sethia, R., H. Gibbs, I. N. Jacobs, J. S. Reilly, K. Rhoades, and K. R. Jatana. “Current Management of Button Battery Injuries.” Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology 6, no. 3 (2021): 549–563. https://doi.org/10.1002/lio2.535.