Hazards of multiple magnet ingestion in children; a case report

ABSTRACT

Foreign body ingestion is relatively common in the paediatric population and most object pass through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously. With the popularity of small magnetic toys, there have been numerous reports of magnet ingestion with morbidity and even mortality. We report a case of 3-years old boy who presented with clinical features of subacute intestinal obstruction with no history of foreign body ingestion. On exploratory laparotomy, he was found to have multiple small bowel perforations due to two small magnets. Magnets were removed and perforations repaired. The aim of this report is to aware paediatricians of the importance of early surgical referral in case of magnet ingestion, to prevent severe complications