title: Ingestion of multiple magnets: hazardous foreign bodies for children.
abstract: We report a case of perforation, fistula formation, and small bowel obstruction in a 2-year-old child who had ingested 32 small magnets. Multiple magnets will attract one another through the bowel wall and lead to pressure necrosis with complications. We recommend early surgical intervention before the onset of gastrointestinal complications if ingested multiple magnets have not moved on the follow-up radiograph. Both clinicians and the lay population need to be aware that multiple magnets can be hazardous foreign bodies for children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal and Pediatric Surgery, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan. ucchie@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Otake
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Mikihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hatada
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kusunoki
mesh_terms: D003679:Deglutition; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D007421:Intestine, Small; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011859:Radiography