Children with foreign bodies are often transferred from general emergency departments (EDs) to children's hospitals for optimal management. Our objective was to describe the outcomes of interhospital pediatric foreign body transfers and examine factors associated with potentially avoidable transfers (PATs) in this cohort.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children aged <18 years transferred to our hospital for the primary complaint of foreign body from January 1, 2020, to September 30, 2022. Data collected included demographics, diagnostic studies and interventions performed, and disposition. A transfer was considered a PAT if the patient was either discharged from the pediatric emergency department (PED), or from inpatient care within 24 h, did not require procedural sedation and any procedural intervention by a pediatric sub-specialist (other than a pediatric ED physician). Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with PATs.

A total of 213 patients were analyzed based on eligibility criteria. The majority of patients were male (51.2%), pre-school age (59.2%), symptomatic (55.8%), and transferred from academic EDs (61%). Coins were the most common foreign bodies (30%), with the gastrointestinal tract (63.8%) being the most common location. Half of the non-respiratory and non-gastrointestinal foreign bodies were successfully removed in the PED. Over half (57.3%) of the patients were discharged from PED. Operative intervention was required in 82 (38.5%) patients, most commonly for coins (50%). 41.8% of transfers were deemed PATs. Presence of foreign body in the esophagus or respiratory tract (OR: 0.071, 95% CI: 0.025–0.200), symptoms at presentation (OR: 0.265, 95% CI: 0.130–0.542), magnet ingestions (OR: 0.208, 95% CI: 0.049–0.886) and transfers from community EDs (OR: 0.415, 95% CI: 0.194–0.885) were less likely associated with PATs. Button battery-related transfers were more likely associated with an avoidable transfer (OR: 6.681, 95% CI: 1.15–39.91).

PATs are relatively common among children transferred to a children's hospital for foreign bodies. Factors associated with PATs have been identified and may represent targets for interventions to avoid low value pediatric foreign body transfers.