Abstract

Ingested foreign bodies in children are a relatively common reason for emergency department visits. Magnets form a special group of foreign bodies, because if the entire thickness of the intestinal wall or only the mucosa is stuck between the magnets, damage to the intestinal wall may occur due to pressure: perforation of the intestinal wall, intestinal obstruction or formation of fistulas between the intestinal lining or between the intestinal lining and other parts of the digestive tract. The danger is especially great in connection with the so-called supermagnets. The article presents an overview of the literature on swallowed magnets and analyses 12 cases managed at Tallinn Children’s Hospital: reasons for referral, diagnosis and applied treatment methods and results. The management of a patient with two or more swallowed magnets is an emergency, and the primary goal is to endoscopically remove the magnets from the gastrointestinal tract. If this fails, asymptomatic children can be observed, preferably in a paediatric surgery unit, as complications are common. Both parents and the medical personnel should continuously be informed about the dangers of magnets.