A 13-year-old boy in New Zealand was hospitalized after swallowing dozens of high-powered magnets, ultimately losing part of his bowel, according to a recent case report in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
The boy, whose identity was not disclosed, ate between 80 and 100 neodymium magnets, each five millimeters by two millimeters in size, according to the report.
The high-powered magnets, often sold as desk toys for adults, are small yet dangerous if swallowed. Their strong magnetic pull can cause parts of the digestive tract to stick together, leading to severe complications such as pressure necrosis, perforation or life-threatening infections, according to the report. Surgery is often required, with risks of long-term complications, such as chronic pain.
The teen endured four days of abdominal pain before seeking medical help, the report said. At the hospital, he told doctors he swallowed the magnets roughly a week earlier. The report did not name the hospital where he was treated or explain why he ate the magnets.
Scans revealed the magnets had clustered into four chains in the lower-right side of his abdomen, pulling together different sections of his bowel with their magnetic force, the report said, noting some imagery was distorted by the magnets. Doctors then proceeded with exploratory surgery.
Continue reading the complete article on the original source
