Multiple Ball Magnet Ingestion With Sandwiching of the Uvula

Abstract

Foreign body ingestion is common among pediatric emergency admissions, and there is increasing awareness that the ingestion of hazardous small high-powered rare earth magnets is rising. A recent United Kingdom (UK)-based study observed a 56% increase in cases of foreign body ingestion in children from 2016 to 2020, with a fivefold increase in the incidence of magnet ingestion (1). A multicenter UK major trauma center survey recently demonstrated that a significant proportion of pediatric patients experienced serious complications from ball magnet ingestion despite early and often asymptomatic presentation, with 51% requiring operative intervention (2).