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. 2025 Jun;77(3):843-858.
doi: 10.1007/s13304-025-02166-5. Epub 2025 Mar 13.

Diagnosis and management of caustic ingestion: an interdisciplinary nationwide cross-sectional survey from the Italian society of endoscopic surgery and new technologies (SICE), the Italian society of digestive endoscopy (SIED), the world society of emergency surgery-Italy chapter (WSESit), and the Italian society of surgical endoscopy and digestive diseases (ISSE)

Alessio Giordano  1 , Manuela Mastronardi  2 , Mauro Podda  3 , Luigi Bonavina  4 , Diego Cuccurullo  5 , Gabriele Anania  6 , Carlo Bergamini  7 , Giuseppe Galloro  8 , Cesare Hassan  9 , Maria Caterina Parodi  10 , Ferdinando Agresta  11 , Giulia Montori  11 , Massimo Sartelli  12 , Fausto Catena  13 , Paola Fugazzola  14 , Luca Ansaloni  14 , Emanuele Marciano  15 , Girolamo Geraci  16 , Attilio Maurano  17 , Manuela Avellino  18 , Arianna Massella  19 , Beatrice Orlandini  20 ; Italian Caustic Ingestion collaborative group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Diagnosis and management of caustic ingestion: an interdisciplinary nationwide cross-sectional survey from the Italian society of endoscopic surgery and new technologies (SICE), the Italian society of digestive endoscopy (SIED), the world society of emergency surgery-Italy chapter (WSESit), and the Italian society of surgical endoscopy and digestive diseases (ISSE)

Alessio Giordano et al. Updates Surg. 2025 Jun.

Abstract

Caustic ingestion (CI) in adults represents a potentially life-threatening condition. Diagnosis and management of CI in real life remain challenging. The aim of the survey is to evaluate on a national scale the multidisciplinary management of these patients. 24-item online Survey was sent to the mailing lists and social media of Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery and New Technologies, Italian Society of Digestive Endoscopy, World Society of Emergency Surgery-Italy Chapter, and Italian Society of Surgical Endoscopy and Digestive Diseases. Overall, 240 subjects answered to the survey, corresponding to 22.1% of the total members of the scientific societies involved. 131 (54.5%) respondents evaluated fewer than ten CI patients per year. The recommendations provided by the WSES and SIED guidelines were followed by 133 (55.2%) and 83 (34.4%) participants, respectively. Emergency surgery was advocated by 180 (77.6%) of the respondents for patients with transmural necrosis or signs of perforation, using minimally invasive surgery in 47% of the cases and considering initial esophagojejunal anastomosis as safe in 33 (14.2%) of the responses. Our study is the first to provide real-life data on how the management of CI varies across Italian physicians, according to regional, institutional, and specialty-related factors. This survey highlights the need for standardized and uniform guidelines.

Keywords: Caustic ingestion; Diagnostic endoscopy; Emergency surgery; Minivasive emergency surgery; Multidisciplinary approach.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interests: Authors certify that there is no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this article and they state that there are no financial interests or connections, direct or indirect, or other situations that might raise the question of bias in the work reported or the conclusions, implications, or opinions stated—including pertinent commercial or other sources of funding for the individual author(s) or for the associated department(s) or organization(s), personal relationships, or direct academic competition. Consent for publication: Authors state that the work described has not been published previously, that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, and that its publication is approved by all authors.

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