Corrosive poisoning–An update.

Corrosive injury to upper gastrointestinal tract is a common emergency as corrosive agents are mainly products of household usage. Corrosive poisoning presents with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations and complications. The gold standard for determination of the grade and extent of the lesion is upper gastrointestinal (UGI) Endoscopy performed in the first 24–48 hours in hemodynamically stable patients with no signs of perforation. Patients with Grade I and IIA injury are managed conservatively while patients with Grade IIB, III AND IV should be admitted in intensive care unit. Management involves maintaining ABC of resuscitation, hydration and nutritional support, proton pump inhibitors, esophageal dilatation and surgery. Inducing emesis, use of neutralising agents and placing a nasogastric tube is contraindicated. Shortterm complications include perforation, mediastinitis and death. Long-term complications include esophageal stricture, antral stricture and squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]