Each year, more than 3,000 people of all ages accidentally swallow miniature disc or "button" batteries of the type used to power hearing aids, watches and calculators. Most button cells pass through the body and are eliminated in the stool. However, sometimes batteries can get "hung up ", and these are the ones that cause problems.

A battery that doesn’t move through the gut, especially one that lodges in the esophagus, may adhere to tissue and leak or the electrical current passing through adjacent tissue can generate alkali. Chemical burns may result. When a battery is swallowed, it is impossible to know whether it will pass through or get "hung up", however a number of factors are known to predict a bad outcome.

If anyone swallows a battery, an x-ray must be obtained immediately to be sure that the battery has gone through the esophagus into the stomach. Do not wait for symptoms to develop before getting an x-ray. If the battery remains in the esophagus, it must be removed IMMEDIATELY. Batteries lodged in the esophagus can cause severe burns in just 2 hours. Battery removal is done with an endoscope; surgery is rarely, if ever, indicated. Do not induce vomiting.

If a battery has moved beyond the esophagus, it can be expected to pass by itself. Passage may take many days, or even months. Removal is usually not necessary if the battery has passed beyond the esophagus into the stomach and the patient is asymptomatic.