Glucagon no better than placebo for resolving esophageal foreign body

An esophageal foreign body major concern as they are potentially very dangerous and may constitute medical emergencies, particularly if sharp. Particularly in toddlers and children who are a high risk of swallowing foreign objects. It is any object that does not belong in the esophagus that becomes stuck there. The type of foreign body is influenced by a number of factors such as age and culture. It’s a

A study in American Journal of Gastroenterology found that Glucagon has no effect than placebo in resolving esophageal foreign body impaction (EFBI) or shortening the time required to remove the foreign body.

Researchers primarily aimed to compare the effectiveness of glucagon versus placebo in resolving EFBI. The study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial involving consecutive patients diagnosed with alimentary EFBI. Participants were randomized to receive either 1 mg of intravenous glucagon or placebo. All patients underwent upper endoscopy, and adverse events were assessed through a protocolized telephonic interview seven days later.

The key findings of the study are

• The study included a total of 72 subjects in the glucagon group and 68 in the placebo group.

• The foreign body was not identified in 23.6% of subjects in the glucagon group and 20.6% of subjects in the placebo group (difference: 3%, 95% CI: - 10.7-16.8%, p=0.67).

• The median time required to remove the foreign body was similar in both groups: 4 minutes (range 2-10) in the glucagon group and 3.5 minutes (range 2-7) in the placebo group (difference: 0.5 minutes, 95% CI -1.3-2.3; p=0.59).

• The most common adverse event reported in both groups was mild pharyngeal pain.

Researchers concluded that “Glucagon is no more effective than placebo in resolving EFBI or shortening the time required to remove the foreign body.”

Reference: de Benito Sanz, Marina MD PhD1,a; Tejedor-Tejada, Javier MD2; Mangas, Carolina MD PhD3; de la Santa, Eva MD4; Cebrian, Irene MD5; Talegón, Raquel MD5; Sánchez-Ocaña, Ramón MD1; Pérez-Pariente, José M. MD2; Pérez-Miranda, Manuel MD PhD1; García-Alonso, Francisco Javier MD PhD1; on behalf of the GLUCAGON study group. Double-blind multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing glucagon vs placebo in the resolution of alimentary esophageal impaction. The American Journal of Gastroenterology DOI:10.14309/ajg.0000000000002511.