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MAY 2016 | The Surgical Technologist | 209 Disc Battery Ingestion in Pediatric Patients L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S s Recall what percentage of patients will most likely pass the battery through the GI tract s List the general symptoms that a child may experience after battery ingestion s Review which types of radiographic studies will be performed when battery ingestion is suspected s Determine which parts of the body are of most concern when this type of incident occurs s Examine the process for removing a disc battery from the esophagus A disc battery or button cell is a small single cell battery shaped as a squat cylinder. They are typically 5 to 25 mm in diameter and 1 to 6 mm high — like a button on a garment, hence the name. 1 These batteries can be found in items such as small toys, hear- ing aids, car-key fobs, flameless candles, remotes, bathroom scales, watches, greeting cards, calculators, pens, cameras and many other items. According to the 2013 annual report of the American Associa- tion of Poison Control Centers, there were 3,503 reported incidences of disc battery ingestion. Of these, 63% were ingested by children younger than the age of five. 2 The high percentage is due to a child’s natural tendency to put things in their mouth while exploring their surroundings. 3 Karr i Gaetz , cst ; Kim Greenwald, rn, cnor , msn, me d As thedemand formore sophisticated toys andelectronics grow, the use of compact high performance batteries is on the rise. These small batteries, often called disc batteries or button cells, are replacing larger AAA or AA battery sizes in many household items and children’s toys.