High-Powered Magnet Ingestion Still Sending Children to Hospital
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Nov 2, 2023.
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Nov. 2, 2023 -- Children continue to present to be hospitalized for high-powered magnet ingestion, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, held from Oct. 20 to 24 in Washington, D.C.
Leah K. Middelberg, M.D., from the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and colleagues used data from 25 U.S. children's hospitals (2017 to 2019) to identify and characterize patients (aged 0 to 21 years) with a confirmed high-powered magnet ingestion or insertion.
The researchers identified 594 patients with a high-powered magnet exposure; 74.3 percent of exposures occurred among children with high Childhood Opportunity Index (COI) scores. Direct supervision by a caregiver at the time of exposure was less likely among children with a low COI score (11.3 versus 17.4 percent). Compared with children with high COI, more children with a low COI tended to have an injury, although the difference was not statistically significant (13.2 versus 8.4 percent), and children with a low COI score were more likely to undergo both endoscopy and surgery (9.3 versus 2.9 percent). Furthermore, children with a low COI score had a longer mean length of stay (4.4 versus 3.3 days) and were more likely to require readmission (5.4 versus 1.6 percent) versus those with a high COI score. The time caregivers took to seek care, the time to the definitive care hospital, and the size or number of magnets per exposure were similar across COI groups.
"Caregivers across all socioeconomic status groups need to be more aware of the danger these magnets pose, but these data illuminate opportunities for focused advocacy and education," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2023
Read this next
Frequent Vaping in Teens Tied to Higher Toxic Metal Exposure
TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 -- Teens who vape frequently have higher exposure to toxic metals, according to a study published online April 29 in Tobacco Control. Andrew Kochvar, from...
Seafood Consumption Tied to 'Forever Chemical' Exposure Risk
WEDNESDAY, April 24, 2024 -- Northeastern U.S. seafood consumers may be exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations that potentially pose a health risk...
American Academy of Neurology, April 13-18
The annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology was held this year from April 13 to 18 in Denver, drawing participants from around the world, including clinicians...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.