Multifaceted Assessment of a Prisoner Ingesting Nine Batteries for Suicidal Purposes

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion is a common event that mostly occurs accidentally in the pediatric population. In adults, unintentional swallowing of objects occurs primarily in the elderly population, alcohol abusers and persons with learning disabilities, whereas intentional episodes occur in individuals with mental disorders and prisoners. Foreign objects commonly ingested by children include coins, magnets, toy parts and button batteries while in adults swallowing of fish bones, chicken bones, needles and dentures are common. Ingestion of razor blades, other sharp metallic objects and batteries was reported among prisoners as a means of self-harm. Ingestion of multiple AA batteries by adults usually occurs as a result of personality disorder or psychiatric illness, whereas it may be used by inmates to draw attention or as means to get away from the prison environment. Repeated foreign body ingestion as mode of self-harm poses challenges for hospitals by creating increased workload, for prison staff due to extra working hours and liabilities and for countries as a result of additional costs incurred by treatment of such prisoners. In the present study, we aimed to draw attention to the need to take measures to prevent such cases and to offer well-designed psychological support programs to prisoners in the future by discussing a case of multiple foreign body ingestion in a 37-year-old incarcerated male charged with prison sentence of 22 years who swallowed an unprecedented high number of AA batteries (nine).