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Updated: Aug 16, 2025
07:42
Detecting the Water-soluble Chloride Distribution of Cement Paste in a High-precision Way
Published on: November 21, 2017
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Suicide Attempt by Cement Ingestion: A Case Report.
Hanan Aly1,2, Ammar Y Bafarat3, Alaa M Alzamil4
1Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, King Abdulaziz Hospital, Jeddah, SAU.
Cureus
|December 21, 2022
Summary
A construction worker ingested cement, causing a gastric obstruction requiring surgical removal. Subsequent psychiatric evaluation indicated a low suicide risk, with an unremarkable recovery.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Toxicology
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Pica, the compulsive consumption of non-food items, can lead to severe gastrointestinal complications.
- Cement ingestion is rare but poses a significant risk of obstruction and mucosal damage.
Observation:
- A 30-year-old male presented with acute epigastric pain and tenderness after ingesting approximately two cups of cement mixed with water.
- Initial management included psychiatric medications, followed by upper GI endoscopy revealing a large, hardened cement bolus and gastric erosions.
- Surgical intervention (laparotomy and gastrotomy) was necessary to remove the gastric foreign body (gypsum).
Findings:
- Upper GI endoscopy confirmed a large, hard cement mass obstructing the stomach.
- Exploratory laparotomy and gastrotomy successfully removed the cement foreign body from the stomach and rectum.
- Modified SAD PERSONS scale assessment indicated a low suicide risk post-event.
Implications:
- This case highlights the critical need for prompt diagnosis and surgical intervention in cases of cement bezoar.
- It underscores the importance of comprehensive psychiatric assessment following intentional foreign body ingestion.
- Management requires a multidisciplinary approach involving gastroenterology, surgery, and psychiatry.
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