Dry cell battery poisoning

Acidic dry cell batteries contain:

• Manganese dioxide
• Ammonium chloride

Alkaline dry cell batteries contain:

• Sodium hydroxide
• Potassium hydroxide

Lithium dioxide dry cell batteries contain:

• Manganese dioxide

Dry cell batteries are used to power a variety of different items. Small dry cell batteries may be used to power watches and calculators, while larger ones (for example, size "D" batteries) can be used in items such as flashlights.

Always keep all batteries out of reach of children:

• Store button batteries and any devices that use them out of reach and out of sight.
• Avoid leaving spare batteries on tables, counters, or in drawers that children can open.
• Make sure battery compartments close tightly and require a screwdriver or tool to open.

Symptoms depend on the type and size of the battery, and whether or not the battery has leaked chemicals.

Symptoms of acidic dry cell battery poisoning include:

• Decreased mental ability
• Irritation or burns in the mouth
• Muscle cramps
• Slurred speech
• Swelling of the lower legs, ankles, or feet
• Spastic walk
• Tremor
• Weakness

Symptoms that can result from breathing in large amounts of the acidic battery fumes, or contents, dust, and smoke from burning batteries include:

• Bronchial irritation and cough
• Decreased mental ability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headache
• Muscle cramps
• Numbness of the fingers or toes
• Itching skin
• Pneumonia (from irritation and blockage of the airways)
• Slurred speech
• Spastic walk
• Weakness in the legs

Symptoms of alkaline battery poisoning may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Breathing difficulty from throat swelling
• Diarrhea
• Drooling
• Rapid drop in blood pressure (shock)
• Throat pain
• Vomiting

Immediate emergency treatment is needed after a battery is swallowed.

Get medical help right away. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care provider. Immediately give the person water or milk, unless instructed otherwise by poison control or a provider.

If the person breathed in fumes from the battery, immediately move them to fresh air.

If the battery broke and contents touched the eyes or skin, wash the area with water for 15 minutes.

Get the following information:

• Person's age, weight, and condition
• Type of battery
• Time it was swallowed
• Amount swallowed

The local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can get online poison help now at Poisonhelp.org. Just enter the product, poison, or medicine to get expert help. Also, you can call the National Button Battery Ingestion Hotline (800-498-8666).

Take the battery with you to the hospital, if possible.

The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.

The person will need immediate x-rays to make sure the battery is not stuck in the esophagus. Most swallowed batteries that pass through the esophagus will pass in the stool without complication. However, if a battery gets stuck in the esophagus, it can cause a hole in the esophagus very quickly. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate.

Tests that may be done include:

• Blood and urine tests
• Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
• Chest x-ray
• Endoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to check for burns in the esophagus and stomach
• X-rays to look for the battery

Treatment may include:

• Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)
• Fluids through a vein (by IV)
• Medicine to treat the effects of the poison and other symptoms

How well a person does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment was received. The faster a person gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery. Full recovery is often possible if treated quickly.

Serious problems are most often seen following industrial accidents. Most household exposures (such as licking some liquid from a leaking battery or swallowing a button battery) are minor. If a large battery does not pass through the intestinal tract within a limited period of time and is causing bowel blockage or threatens to leak, a surgical procedure with general anesthesia may be needed.

Batteries - dry cell

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Meehan TJ. Care of the poisoned patient. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 135.

National Capital Poison Center website. Poison control button battery ingestion triage and treatment guideline. www.poison.org/battery/guideline. Updated June 2018. Accessed November 26, 2025.

Nelson LS, Calello DP. Acute poisoning. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 96.

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Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.