CHENNAI: A team of doctors at Dr Mehta's Hospital performed an emergency laparotomy and removed 14 magnetic balls from the small intestine of a three-year-old girl, who had ingested it seven days ago while playing.
The child was rushed to the hospital with high fever, vomiting, and abdominal pain and swelling. She had the symptoms for three days. She also had septic shock.The child was treated for gastroenteritis and urinary tract infection at other hospitals earlier.
A CT scan showed multiple magnetic balls in the small intestine with perforation (hole in the stomach wall), and pneumoperitoneum (presence of gas in the abdominal cavity). Post-surgery, she developed coagulopathy (bleeding disorder) and anaemia from sepsis.
The child was given parenteral nutrition through an IV line for five days. On day 5, she was started on oral feeds. She was discharged with oral antibiotics after 10 days post surgery, the release added.The ingestion of magnetic objects poses a significant health risk to children, with severe morbidity and mortality.
The mortality in such cases can rise to 25-30 per cent, even with intervention. So parents should be cautious that young children should not have access to toys or objects that contain small magnets or metals, the release said.