ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The
incidence of
magnet ingestion in
children has escalated concurrent with the rise in popularity of
magnetic playthings, bearing the capacity to induce substantial
morbidity.
AIM:
The objective of this study was to encapsulate our accumulated expertise in handling pediatric cases featuring multiple
magnetic foreign bodies within the
gastrointestinal tract sometimes necessitating surgical intervention, as well as to formulate a clinical management
algorithm.
METHODS:
This was a retrospective
review of
patients with multiple
magnetic foreign bodies in the
digestive tract, admitted to Shenzhen
Children's
Hospital, between January 2018 and December 2022.
RESULTS:
A total of 100 cases were included in this study, including 66
males and 34
females. The main clinical manifestation ns were
abdominal pain and
vomiting. All
patients had abdominal
x-ray, all of which indicated
foreign bodies in the
digestive tract. 33
patients had to undergo a surgical intervention. Among these cases, the gastrointestinal
complications occurred in 31
patients, including
gastric rupture (n = 9),
intestinal obstruction (n = 11) and
intestinal perforation (n = 30). Postoperative
intestinal obstruction occurred in 6
children. There was no statistical significant difference in age and
gender between the Surgical group and Non-surgical group, but the Surgical group had a higher number of
magnets ([7.5(2-44) vs 4(2-20)], p = 0.009), a longer interval between
time of misingestion to clinical visit ([48(7.2-480) vs 5(2-336)]hours, p < 0.001), and a longer length of
hospital stay ([10(6-19) vs 2(1-8)]days, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS:
Multiple
magnet ingestion in
children can
lead to serious
complications and carry severe
risks. Timely
diagnosis and effective
treatment are crucial for managing such
patients.