Clinical case of volvulus, caused by magnetic beads in digestive tract in 6 year-old child

Abstract

Often enough, children swallow foreign bodies (coins, needls, buttons, batteries etc), most of which pass asymptomatically through the digestive tract without causing negative health outcome, but sometimes they can pose a significant health risk to the child. Magnetic objects are considered dangerous because injested multiple magnets can localize in different parts of the digestive tract and attract to each other, which can cause serious complications – ischemia and necrosis of the gut, volvulus, intestinal obstruction, perforation, fistula formation and even mortality.
Case report. The article presents a clinical case of treatment 6 year-old child, who was hospitalized to the I surgical department of CNE of Lviv Regional Concil Lviv Regional Children’s Clinical Hospital «OHMATDYT» with a clinical picture of intestinal obstruction. During surgery, volvulus and multiple perforations of small intestine were diagnosed, which were caused by prolonged stay of several magnetic beads in the digestive tract.
Conclusions. We consider it necessary to show that neglect of such property of magnetic objects, such as magnetism, can lead to life-threatening complications. Timely admission and early surgery, when endoscopic removal of the magnets is impossible, can prevent the negative consequences. We consider it necessary to show that neglect of such property of magnetic objects as magnetism can lead to complications.
The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of all participating institutions. The informed consent of the child’s parents was obtained from the studies.
No conflict of interest was declared by the authors.