Paediatric imaging: button battery ingestion: practice question

A Radiology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Radiology · Paediatric imaging: button battery ingestion

Sample item

A toddler is suspected to have swallowed a coin-shaped object. The chest film shows a round radiopaque disc in the oesophagus with a double contour on the AP view and a step-off on the lateral. What is the correct response?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Treat as a button battery and arrange urgent endoscopic removal

A double halo on the frontal view and a step-off on the lateral suggest a button battery rather than a coin. An oesophageal battery causes liquefactive necrosis within hours and can perforate or erode the aorta, so it needs emergency removal. Coins in the oesophagus are removed as well but are less urgent.

Option by option

  • A. Induce vomiting

    Vomiting may worsen injury and aspiration.

  • B. Treat as a button battery and arrange urgent endoscopic removal (correct)

    Correct. The signs suggest a battery, which needs urgent removal.

  • C. Observe for spontaneous passage in 2 weeks

    Waiting risks severe mucosal injury and perforation.

  • D. Give a laxative and repeat the film

    Laxatives will not help an object stuck in the oesophagus.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is B, Treat as a button battery and arrange urgent endoscopic removal. A double halo on the frontal view and a step-off on the lateral suggest a button battery rather than a coin.

Why is "Induce vomiting" not the answer?

Vomiting may worsen injury and aspiration.

Why is "Observe for spontaneous passage in 2 weeks" not the answer?

Waiting risks severe mucosal injury and perforation.

Why is "Give a laxative and repeat the film" not the answer?

Laxatives will not help an object stuck in the oesophagus.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Paediatric imaging: button battery ingestion in Radiology. An oesophageal battery causes liquefactive necrosis within hours and can perforate or erode the aorta, so it needs emergency removal. Coins in the oesophagus are removed as well but are less urgent.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Paediatric imaging: button battery ingestion?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.