Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:46:28.080Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Opposites attract: a case of magnet ingestion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2015

Helen H.L. Wong  and
Bruce A. Phillips
Helen H.L. Wong
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC
Bruce A. Phillips*
Affiliation:
Emergency Department, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC
*
Emergency Department, British Columbia Children's Hospital, 4480 Oak St., Vancouver BC V6H 3V4; [email protected]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Foreign-body ingestion is relatively common in the pediatric population and most objects pass through the gastrointestinal tract with minimal complications. Popular toy magnetic construction sets have resulted in numerous reports in the literature of serious complications including death following ingestion of multiple magnets. We report a case of a 5-year-old girl who presented to our emergency department with nonbilious vomiting and mild abdominal pain after accidentally ingesting 2 magnets 10 hours apart. Abdominal radiography showed the presence of 2 magnets, and a laparoscopy revealed multiple areas of bowel wall necrosis and perforation requiring subsequent laparotomy for repair of the bowel wall and retrieval of the magnets. This report aims to alert emergency care physicians of the necessity for early surgical referral with any multiple magnet ingestion to prevent severe complications.

Keywords

magnet ingestionforeign-body ingestionbowel perforation
Type
Case Report • Rapport de cas
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 11 , Issue 5 , September 2009 , pp. 493 - 495
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2009

References

REFERENCES

1.Kay, M, Wyllie, R. Pediatric foreign bodies and their management. Curr Gastroenterol Rep 2005;7:212–8.Google Scholar
2.Uyemura, MC. Foreign body ingestion. Am Fam Physician 2005;72:287–91.Google Scholar
3.Butterworth, J, Feltis, B. Toy magnet ingestion in children: revising the algorithm. J Pediatr Surg 2007;42:E3–5.Google Scholar
4.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gastrointestinal injuries from magnet ingestion in children: United States 2004–2006. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2006;55:1296–300.Google Scholar
5.Dutta, S, Barzin, A. Multiple magnet ingestion as a source of severe gastrointestinal complications requiring surgical intervention. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008;162:123–5.Google Scholar
6.Hernandez Anselmi, E, Gutlerrez San Roman, C, Barrios Fontoba, JE, et al Intestinal perforation caused by magnetic toys. J Pediatr Surg 2007;42:E13–6.Google Scholar
7.Haraguchi, M, Matsuo, S, Tokail, H, et al Surgical intervention for the ingestion of multiple magnets by children. J Clin Gastroenterol 2004;38:915–6.Google Scholar