Life-threatening esophageal perforation due to blister pack ingestion

Most ingested foreign bodies do not cause serious complications. In rare cases, elderly people with cognitive decline may unintentionally swallow a blister pack while trying to take medicine. When a blister pack is separated into individual parts, the separated parts have sharp edges that can cause serious damage if ingested. We report a case of an elderly patient who unintentionally ingested a blister pack, which led to esophageal perforation and ultimately his death.