Within Two Weeks: 4-Year-Old Swallowed a Battery, 5-Year-Old Swallowed 16 Magnets and Needed Complex Surgery
In the past two weeks, the Emek Medical Center treated two unusual cases of children swallowing foreign objects: a 4-year-old boy swallowed a button battery, and a 5-year-old girl swallowed 16 toy magnets. The boy underwent gastroscopy under full anesthesia and was released in good condition; the girl required complex surgery due to holes in her intestine. The doctors warn of the dangers and emphasize the importance of immediate arrival at the emergency room.
In the past two weeks, the Emek Medical Center treated two unusual and dangerous cases of children swallowing foreign objects. In the first case, a 4-year-old boy swallowed a small button battery. His mother noticed the act and immediately went to the emergency room. Dr. Firas Rinawi, director of the Gastroenterology Unit, performed a gastroscopy under full anesthesia and removed the battery, but slight damage to the esophagus was already visible. The boy remained under observation and was released in good condition. In the second case, a 5-year-old girl swallowed about 16 toy magnets. The magnets attracted each other through the intestinal walls, causing holes. Dr. Mark Arkovich, director of the Pediatric Surgery Department, had to perform an anastomosis of the intestinal ends in a complex surgery. The girl is recovering. The doctors warn that button batteries can cause chemical burns to the esophagus within a short time, and that magnets can cause necrosis and tears. They call on parents to keep small objects out of reach and to go immediately to the emergency room if any ingestion is suspected, even without symptoms.