An Egyptian girl swallows magnetic pieces... and urgent medical intervention saves her

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The medical team in the Pediatric Surgery Department at Kafr El-Sheikh General Hospital in Egypt succeeded in saving a 14-year-old girl, after she swallowed a number of magnetic pieces and developed symptoms indicating that she had an intestinal obstruction, which required urgent medical intervention.

The hospital also explained in a statement yesterday, Sunday, that the child initially underwent an upper endoscopy through the mouth, during which 5 magnetic pieces were extracted, while the rest of the pieces inside the digestive system could not be reached.

With the appearance of symptoms indicating intestinal obstruction, the medical team decided to deal with the case urgently and prepare the child for a surgical intervention, with the aim of avoiding aggravation of her condition and the occurrence of complications.

During the operation, the medical team conducted a surgical exploration of the intestine through a limited incision, and was able to extract the remaining 9 magnets through the anus, without the need to open the intestine.

The girl left the hospital in good health, after the successful intervention and receiving the necessary medical care.

It is noteworthy that children swallowing more than one magnetic piece poses a particular risk, as the pieces may attract across different parts of the intestine, which may cause tissue pressure, blockages or perforations in the intestine, and other complications that may require urgent surgical intervention.

Suspected cases of children swallowing magnetic pieces require a quick trip to the emergency department, even if no clear symptoms appear, to conduct a medical evaluation and determine the appropriate intervention according to the number of pieces and their locations within the digestive system.

The administration of Kafr El-Sheikh General Hospital also confirmed that the medical and nursing teams will continue to deal with critical and emergency cases and provide the necessary health care to patients.