Article Title: Six months Gastric Retention of a Foreign Body in a 6-Year-Old Child Residing in a Refugee Camp: Case Report
Volume Number: 1
Issue: 1
Year: 2025
Article Type: Case Report
Author Names: Segenet Bizuneh Mengistu¹*, Suleiman Ayalew Belaym³, Rediet Getu Degu³, Alazar Wogayehu Gebrehana², Biniam Yoannes Wotango⁴
Page Number: 12-15
Affiliations:
¹Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia;
²Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia;
³School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia; ⁴Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia;
*Correspondence: Dr. Segenet Bizuneh Mengistu, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia;
Email: segenet new@gmail.com
Keywords: Foreign Body Ingestion; Gastric Retention; Pediatric Endoscopy; Refugee Health; Resource-Limited Settings
Abstract: Foreign body ingestion is common in children, but prolonged gastric retention is rare. We report a 6-year-old girl from a refugee camp in Ethiopia who swallowed a 50-cent coin, which remained in her stomach for six months. Despite repeated hospital visits and imaging, the coin was not expelled or removed until referral to a higher center. Endoscopic retrieval was successful without complications. This case highlights the challenges of delayed intervention in low-resource settings and emphasizes the importance of timely diagnosis, appropriate referral, and endoscopic management to prevent potential
complications.
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