Small Bowel Obstruction Secondary to an Ingested Iron "Stay Fresh" Pack

"Stay-fresh" packets are commonly used items to prevent oxygen or water from damaging items. These are routinely placed in food items such as meat jerky, nuts, dried fruits, and breads, and are usually not toxic when ingested. While a few case reports have described esophageal obstruction following the ingestion of silica stay-fresh packets, no case reports to date have documented pathology resulting from the ingestion of iron stay-fresh packets in otherwise healthy individuals. In this case report, a 51-year-old man presented to the ER with abdominal pain. The CT scan indicated severe proximal bowel distention with distal enteritis, along with a possible small bowel foreign body. The patient denied ingesting any foreign bodies. Abdominal exam gradually worsened, and an exploratory laparotomy was performed, revealing an obstruction secondary to an ingested iron "stay-fresh" packet.