Academy Calls for a Safer Button Battery

The American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), joined by a growing coalition of medical societies and organizations, is calling on battery manufacturers to introduce a safer button or coin cell battery. This urgent request aims to reduce the serious risks associated with accidental battery ingestion or contact with body tissue, which can lead to life-threatening injuries in children.

Despite the widespread use of these types of batteries, no battery manufacturer currently produces a safe button or coin cell battery, nor has any company publicly committed to developing one. When lodged in the body, these batteries can cause severe tissue damage due to rapid hydroxide production at the battery’s negative pole, resulting in burns or perforations of the esophagus, trachea, or eardrum.

The prevalence of button batteries in household items such as remote controls, toys, decorations, and key fobs continues to rise, increasing the risk to children. In the United States, it is estimated that a child is taken to the emergency room every 75 minutes with a battery-related injury—a rate that has doubled in the past decade.¹  

With the recent endorsement by the American College of Surgeons of the Position Statement on Button and Coin Battery Technology,² there are now 12 leading organizations behind this effort to eliminate the high risks of button and coin cell batteries to children. 

“With the holidays upon us, the exposure and risk are even greater as toys, decorations, and electronics are powered by these types of batteries … . The battery manufacturers have the opportunity and responsibility to step up and ensure that widespread industry and consumer adoption of a safe battery technology will prevent children from severe injuries or death,” said James C. Denneny III, MD, Immediate Past AAO-HNS Executive Vice President and CEO in a recent press release.

Organizations interested in endorsing the position should contact healthpolicy@entnet.org. Read about how position statements are developed in the June issue of the Bulletin. 

Consumer Alert: If someone swallows a battery, immediately call the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1-800-498-8666. Visit poison.org/battery to learn more.

References

1. Chandler MD, Ilyas K, Jatana KR, Smith GA, McKenzie LB, MacKay JM. Pediatric Battery-Related Emergency Department Visits in the United States: 2010-2019. Pediatrics. 2022;150(3):e2022056709.
2. AAO-HNS Position Statement: Button and Coin Battery Technology, published October 6, 2023, accessed October 30, 2024 https://www.entnet.org/resource/position-statement-button-and-coin-battery-technology/.