Ingeslikte blisterverpakkingen

Background

Single dose blister packs (BP) are commonly used in pharmaceutical packaging. Accidental ingestion of medication BPs can cause serious harm as the sharp edges can severely damage the esophageal wall.

Case descriptions

We describe 2 cases of accidental BP ingestion. An 88-year-old man self-administered his medication during hospital admission. Afterwards, he started to complain about dysphagia. Endoscopic examination the next day revealed a BP stuck in the esophageal wall, which was successfully removed. A 66-year-old man presented to the emergency department with acute onset hematemesis and dysphagia for one week. Upper endoscopy showed a deep tear in the esophageal mucosa and an intact BP in the stomach. The BP was removed and the patient recovered.

Conclusion

Patients are often not aware of the ingested BP. Urgent endoscopic intervention is needed in order to prevent further damage to the esophageal wall. Supervision during specific moments of intake could help to prevent accidental ingestion.

Conflict of interest and financial support: none declared.