Caustic / Corrosive Ingestion

Common substances: • Strong alkali (most damaging — liquefactive necrosis): drain cleaners, oven cleaners, bleach, dishwasher tablets, lye. • Strong acid (coagulative necrosis): toilet bowl cleaners, battery acid, descalers. • Pediatric ingestion: usually accidental, small volumes. • Adult ingestion: often intentional, larger volumes, more severe. Features: • Oropharyngeal pain, drooling, dysphagia, odynophagia. • Respiratory: stridor, hoarseness, dyspnoea (laryngeal involvement). • Abdominal pain, vomiting, haematemesis. • Mediastinitis / peritonitis if perforation. Danger levels: • Alkali pH ≥12: severe injury likely. • Acid pH ≤2: severe injury likely. • Disc / button battery — see specific pathway.