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Updated: Feb 23, 2026
Handheld Metal Detector Screening for Metallic Foreign Body Ingestion in Children
Published on: September 11, 2018
Magnet foreign body ingestion: rare occurrence but big consequences
Richard Sola1, Eric H Rosenfeld2, Yangyang R Yu2
1The Center for Prospective Clinical Trials, The Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA.
Insights
Pediatric magnet ingestions pose a significant risk, often necessitating surgical intervention. This study reviewed magnet ingestion cases in children, leading to the development of a clinical management pathway to guide treatment decisions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Clinical Toxicology
- Surgical Outcomes
Background:
- Magnet ingestions in children are a growing concern.
- Co-ingestion of multiple magnets or magnets with other metallic objects increases risk.
- Symptoms are often absent, delaying diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze outcomes of pediatric magnet ingestions across two children's hospitals.
- To establish a clinical management pathway for magnet ingestion cases.
- To identify risk factors associated with surgical intervention.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of children under 18 who ingested magnets from January 2011 to June 2016.
- Analysis of demographics, presenting symptoms, diagnostic imaging, management strategies, and patient outcomes.
- Logistic regression to identify independent risk factors for surgical intervention.
Main Results:
- Eighty-nine cases of magnet ingestion were identified.
- 47% of patients required intervention, with 23% undergoing abdominal surgery.
- Multiple magnet or metallic co-ingestion and abdominal pain were significant risk factors for surgery.
Conclusions:
- Magnet ingestions carry a high risk of requiring surgical removal.
- A structured clinical management pathway is essential for effective treatment.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes.
Purpose:
To review the outcomes of magnet ingestions from two children's hospitals and develop a clinical management pathway.
Methods:
Children <18years old who ingested a magnet were reviewed from 1/2011 to 6/2016 from two tertiary center children's hospitals. Demographics, symptoms, management and outcomes were analyzed.
Results:
From 2011 to 2016, there were 89 magnet ingestions (50 from hospital 1 and 39 from hospital 2); 50 (56%) were males. Median age was 7.9 (4.0-12.0) years; 60 (67%) presented with multiple magnets or a magnet and a second metallic co-ingestion. Suspected locations found on imaging were: stomach (53%), small bowel (38%), colon (23%) and esophagus (3%). Only 35 patients (39%) presented with symptoms and the most common symptom was abdominal pain (33%). 42 (47%) patients underwent an intervention, in which 20 (23%) had an abdominal operation. For those undergoing abdominal surgery, an exact logistic regression model identified multiple magnets or a magnet and a second metallic object co-ingestion (OR 12.9; 95% CI, 2.4 - Infinity) and abdominal pain (OR 13.0; 95% CI, 3.2-67.8) as independent risk factors.
Conclusion:
Magnets have a high risk of requiring surgical intervention for removal. Therefore, we developed a management algorithm for magnet ingestion.
Level Of Evidence:
Level III.
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