Warning Labels and High-Powered Magnet Exposures.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: High-powered magnets are among the most dangerous childhood foreign bodies. Consumer advocates and physicians have called for these products to be effectively banned, but manufacturers assert warning labels would sufficiently mitigate risk. METHODS: Subjects from Injuries, Morbidity, and Parental Attitudes Concerning Tiny High-powered Magnets (IMPACT of Magnets), a retrospective, multicenter study of children with high-powered magnet exposures (ie, ingestion or bodily insertion), were contacted. Consenting participants responded to a standardized questionnaire regarding the presence and utility of warning labels, magnet product manufacturer, and attitudes around risk. RESULTS: Of 596 patients in the IMPACT study, 173 parents and 1 adult patient were reached and consented to participate. The median age was 7.5 years. Subjects reported not knowing if a warning label was present in 60 (53.6%) cases, whereas 25 (22.3%) stated warnings were absent. Warnings were present in 28 (24.1%) cases but only 13 (46.4%) reported reading them. A manufacturer was identified by families in 28 (16.1%) exposures; 25 of these were domestic and 27 had warnings. Subjects reported knowing magnets were dangerous in 58% of the cases, although 44.3% believed they were children's toys and only 6.9% knew high-powered magnets were previously removed from the United States market. CONCLUSIONS: Over 90% of subjects from the IMPACT study didn't know if warning labels were present or failed to read them if they were, whereas almost half believed high-powered magnets were children's toys. Warning labels on high-powered magnet products are, therefore, unlikely to prevent injuries in children.

Perioperative outcomes for benign hysterectomy among women with thrombocytopenia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether mild or moderate thrombocytopenia is associated with postoperative complications after benign hysterectomy. METHODS: A retrospective study of data from women who underwent benign hysterectomy included in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Database. The data were stratified by normal platelet count, mild thrombocytopenia (100-149 × 103 platelets/µl), and moderate thrombocytopenia (50-99 × 103 platelets/µl). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between mild or moderate thrombocytopenia and the main outcome measures. RESULTS: Moderate thrombocytopenia was associated with an increased risk of perioperative transfusion (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.96-4.21) and reoperation (aOR, 4.03; 95% CI, 1.94-17.33), but mild thrombocytopenia was not. There was an increased risk of infection among women with both mild (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.12-1.69) and moderate (aOR, 2.00; 95% CI,1.23-3.22) thrombocytopenia. There was no association between either mild or moderate thrombocytopenia and readmission, prolonged hospital stay, or longer surgical time. CONCLUSION: Thrombocytopenia was found to be associated with increased infectious morbidity after hysterectomy, and moderate thrombocytopenia was associated with an increased risk of perioperative transfusion and reoperation.