A 9-year-old girl had her small intestines punctured after swallowing a bunch of small magnetic balls that constricted inside her body, according to The Straits Times.
She became sick for 2 weeks, with the doctor not knowing what was wrong initially.
Vomited green substance
She had vomited green substances on 9 May and she was then brought to the Kk Women’s and Children’s Hospital by her parents.
The doctor there then prescribed antibiotics to the girl after deducing that she was suffering from a viral infection.
But the girl then started vomiting again about 1.5 weeks later, and she was then brought to Thomson Medical Centre on 19 May.
Couldn’t remain upright
By then the girl couldn’t even remain upright and had to be sent in on a wheelchair, with her mother adding that her daughter had lost 3kg by then and was having difficulties consuming fluids.
A pediatric surgeon at Thomson Medical Centre, Dr Nidhu Jasm, asked the girl what the ate and she told the doctor that she was always vomiting and unable to eat.
An ultrasound scan was then performed but it turned out inconclusive, as the doctor could only see diluted bubbles.
Magnetic balls found
An x-ray was then performed and a total of 14 magnetic balls were then found in her small intestines, with each magnetic ball measuring about 3-5mm in diameter.
She was then sent for an emergency surgery that lasted about 4 hours to remove the magnets, with about two stretches of her small intestines measuring 3.5cm and 6.5cm being cut out of her body because of irreversible damage.
Dr Nighy added that the magnets had taken a “shortcut” of sorts, instead of following the route through the small intestines, and the magnets were stuck to each other from different parts of the intestines.
Ruptured a hole in the intestines
A blockage was then caused which resulted in the girl vomiting, and the magnets were so strong that they caused a hole in her small intestines.
Dr Nidhu further added that the magnets being squeezed together would’ve blown a hole in the girl’s intestine, but the girl was fortunately diagnosed in time.
She was then placed on a diet of liquids for 2 days after the operation and switched to a porridge-based diet from day 3 onwards, and she has since recovered fully.
Toy bought from Lazada
ST also reported that the magnets came from a toy that the parents had bought from Lazada for about $17, consisting of 216 magnetic balls.
Dr Nidhu further explained that these magnetic toys are dangerous when swallowed, as compared to foreign objects like coins which don’t stick to each other and will eventually come out of the system naturally.
Magnets, in comparison, get stuck along the way because of their magnetism and would require surgical options to remove them.
The magnetic toy that the parents bought has since been thrown away by the girl’s parents.
Images source: Thomson Medical Centre