Citation

Abbas MI, Oliva-Hemker M, Choi J, Lustik M, Gilger MA, Noel RA, Schwarz K, Nylund CM. J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 2013; 57(1): 18-22.

Affiliation

*Department of Pediatrics, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI †Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD ‡Department of Pediatrics, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD §Department of Clinical Investigation, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI ||Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX ¶Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, New Orleans, LA #Department of Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/MPG.0b013e3182952ee5

PMID

23575300

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: In the past ten years, there have been an increasing number of case reports concerning gastrointestinal injury related to magnet ingestions; however, the magnitude of the problem remains to be clearly defined. OBJECTIVE:: Examine the epidemiology of magnet ingestion-related emergency department (ED) visits among children in the United States (US). METHODS:: We performed a trend analysis utilizing a nationally representative sample from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database for emergency department (ED) visits involving magnet ingestion in children <18 years from 2002-2011. RESULTS:: A national estimate of 16,386 (95% CI: 12,175-20,598) children <18 years presented to EDs in the US during the 10-year study period with possible magnet ingestion. The incidence of visits increased 8.5-fold (0.45 per 100,000 to 3.75 per 100,000) from 2002 to 2011 with a 75% average annual increase per year. The majority of patients reported to have ingested magnets were under 5 years (54.7%). From 2009-2011 there was an increase in older children ingesting multiple small and/or round magnets, with a mean average age of 7.1 ± 0.56 years over the study period. CONCLUSION:: There is an alarming increase in ED visits for magnet ingestion in children. Increased public education and prevention efforts are needed.


Keywords: Multiple magnet ingestion

Language: en