title: Pediatric coin ingestion and aspiration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relationship between physical characteristics of the coin (size), age of the victim, the amount of coins in circulation, and the frequency and outcome of pediatric coin ingestion and aspiration injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of coin related ingestion and aspiration injuries occurring to children 14 years of age or younger were acquired from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Logistic regression was conducted to control for mutual confounding among variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 1994 to 2003, an estimated 252,338 children were treated in hospital emergency departments for non-fatal coin-related ingestion or aspiration, and additional 20 fatalities were reported during the same time span. Children 4 years of age or younger were at the highest risk. It is also observed that younger children are the most vulnerable victims of ingestion and/or aspiration of small coins (e.g., pennies), while older children are more likely to be treated due to ingestion and/or aspiration of larger coins (e.g., quarters). Pennies were involved in more incidents than all other coins combined. The hospitalization rate exhibited a negative correlation with the measure of the diameter and the weight of the coins. The overwhelming majority (94%) of the incidents were ingestion, whereas aspiration victims were more likely to encounter hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We hope that this study will raise public and health practitioners' awareness of the risk, and increase supervision, particular of the most vulnerable young children.
authors.affiliation: RAM, Oak Brook, IL 60523, USA. xiao.chen@ram.com
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milkovich
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stool
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: van As
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rider
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004064:Digestive System / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009717:Numismatics; D053120:Respiratory Aspiration / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology