Multicentre study of magnet ingestion in Spanish paediatric emergency departments.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The ingestion of magnetic objects can cause complications in children, and there are no epidemiological or clinical data on the subject in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence, epidemiological characteristics and management of magnet ingestion in paediatric emergency departments in Spain.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective observational multicentre study conducted over a 3-year period. The study universe consisted of patients aged less than 14 years.

RESULTS: The incidence was 4.8 cases per 100 000 emergency care episodes. Of the 72 patients included (mean age, 7.2 years), 54% were male. Seven percent had neuropsychiatric disorders. Sixty-one percent of the magnets were spherical and 69% came from toys. The size was variable, most frequently between 5 and 10 mm (50%), and ranging from 3 to 30 mm. Eighty-six percent of patients were asymptomatic. The most frequent symptom was abdominal pain. Eighty-three percent of the patients sought medical care within 6 h of ingestion and 92% within 24 h. Thirty-one percent of the cases were of multiple ingestion. Endoscopy was required for extraction in 15% of cases, a proportion that rose to 36% in the group of cases of multiple ingestion. None of the patients required surgery. We did not observe any gastrointestinal complications of magnet ingestion.

CONCLUSIONS: The ingestion of multiple magnets is less frequent than single magnet ingestion, and we did not observe any complications despite the lower frequency of procedures compared to other studies.