Fatal attraction: A case of multiple magnet ingestion in an infant

Abstract

Background: Foreign body ingestion is common amongst young children, and they tend to pass spontaneously in most. Multiple magnet ingestion, though not very common, requires early intervention to avoid serious complications. Case presentation: A 1 year old infant was brought to us with symptoms of bilious vomiting and abdominal pain. A plain abdominal x ray revealed presence of multiple radio opaque foreign bodies adherent to each other, lying in the small bowel. This raised the suspicion of accidental ingestion of multiple magnets, which was confirmed on detailed interrogation of the parents. An exploratory laparotomy revealed volvulus with pressure necrosis causing multiple perforations of the small bowel, for which a bowel resection with anastomosis and a loop ileostomy was performed, also all the magnetic beads were removed intact. The stoma was reversed after 4 weeks. At follow up the child has grown well with no residual complaints. Conclusion: The importance of early detection and intervention in a case of multiple magnet ingestion in children should be emphasised amongst the parents of young children. Spread of awareness by the primary paediatricians would help in reducing the morbidity and mortality. Keywords: multiple magnets; intestinal obstruction; perforation.