Button batteries

Button batteries are small (less than one centimeter in diameter) batteries usually used to power wrist watches and small clocks. Children often accidentally inhale or swallow them due to their size and availability.

These batteries can potentially cause necrosis (breakdown) of tissues in the GI tract, depending on where they become lodged. The substance in the battery does not necessarily cause any systemic toxicity, but they can cause life-threatening perforations (holes) in the esophagus (food pipe).

These small batteries can be found in:

• cameras
• hearing-aids
• watches
• calculators
• penlights

Email this page  Printer friendly  Bookmark this page