Resolving Tongue Entrapment: A Comprehensive Review with Case Report

Objective: To report a case of oral tongue entrapment due to a metal water bottle and review clinical considerations for managing this rare pathology.

Study design: Case report and literature review.

Setting: Tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A 6-year-old female presented with her tongue trapped in a threaded aluminum water bottle. Upon admission, her tongue was edematous and actively bleeding, though she was spontaneously breathing. A systematic review was then performed to document similar case studies found in the literature.

Results: Emergency removal of the foreign body was performed in the operating room using drill cutting burrs and metal shears. The bottle was successfully removed with minimal injury to the oral tongue. The patient required nasal intubation for seven days to allow the tongue edema to subside. Subsequent literature review identified 14 similar cases, with the vast majority occurring with similar brand of aluminum water bottle.

Conclusion: The increasing use of reusable bottles may lead to a higher incidence of tongue entrapment cases. Awareness of this complication and appropriate management strategies are crucial to prevent severe outcomes in pediatric patients.