A recently released child-safety battery designed to reduce the danger from accidental ingestion is showing significant promise, but medical professionals should not alter their management protocols yet. In the first peer-reviewed scientific assessment of the recently commercialized Energizer Ultimate Child Shield, researchers found that the titanium-based lithium coin-cell battery, designed to protect the esophagus, can reduce the severity of tissue injury.
The study, published in OTO Open, was led by Kris Jatana, MD, of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University.
The AAO-HNS urges families to keep all coin-cell and button batteries out of children's reach, secure battery compartments and seek emergency care immediately if a battery ingestion is suspected. The academy also calls on battery manufacturers to adopt technology that meets or exceeds the new safety standard for preventing severe injury inside the body.
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