The Laryngoscope
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Multicenter Study
Assault by battery: battery-related injury in the head and neck.
To estimate nationwide incidence of emergency department (ED) visits for battery-related injury (BRI) occurring in the head and neck, and analyze demographic and anatomic-specific trends. ⋯ BRI in the head and neck results in a significant amount of ED visits. Mechanisms of injury vary by age and anatomic location, but a considerable male predilection exists. Whereas pediatric patients are primarily affected, particularly patients between 2 to 5 years of age, injuries do occur among adults. Importantly, the prevalence of dislodged hearing-aid batteries in the elderly necessitates comprehensive patient education to increase awareness and counseling regarding this complication. Awareness of demographic and anatomic-specific trends reported in this analysis may be an invaluable adjunct for history-taking and clinical examination.