A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized after consuming dozens of high-powered magnets, in accordance with a just lately printed case report within the New Zealand Medical Journal. The boy misplaced a part of his bowel because of this, medical doctors wrote.
The boy, who was not recognized within the case report, ate between 80 and 100 magnets. The “high-power” magnets have been 5×2 millimeters every, the report mentioned.
After consuming the magnets, the teenager had basic stomach ache for 4 days. When he arrived on the hospital, he informed medical doctors he had eaten the magnets a few week earlier. The hospital he was handled at was not recognized within the report.
The case report didn’t say if the boy defined why or how he ate the magnets.
New Zealand Medical Journal 
Consuming a number of magnets may be extremely harmful as a result of they’ll clamp collectively contained in the physique and trigger organ injury or different issues. Sufferers who eat a number of magnets typically want surgical intervention, in accordance with the report. Excessive-powered magnets, which are sometimes bought as desktop toys for adults, are significantly dangerous. They are often 5 to 10 instances stronger than conventional fridge magnets, CBS News reported in 2019.
Scans confirmed that the magnets had linked into 4 chains inside the teenager’s bowel and at first of his giant gut. The quantity of magnets in his physique disrupted some imaging, the report mentioned, so medical doctors proceeded with an exploratory surgical procedure.
Throughout the operation, surgeons discovered the magnet chains have been inflicting strain necrosis within the bowel and huge gut. Strain necrosis happens when tissue dies as a result of there may be an excessive amount of strain on it for an prolonged time period. The surgeons have been in a position to efficiently take away the magnets, and the boy recovered from the operation. He was discharged after eight days within the hospital, the report mentioned.
The sale of those high-powered magnets has been completely banned in New Zealand, however the prohibition is tough to implement as a result of the magnets may be simply and cheaply bought on-line, the report famous. The boy informed medical doctors he bought the magnets on the net website Temu. CBS Information reached out to Temu to verify the acquisition and ask if the net retailer works to stop transport merchandise to international locations the place they’re banned, however didn’t instantly get a response.
New Zealand Medical Journal 
The U.S. Client Product Security Fee has labored to restrict the sale of high-powered magnets in america. In 2014, the company issued a ban on high-powered magnet units, nevertheless it was overturned in court docket two years later. In September 2022, the company established a mandatory safety standard for magnets. The rule units an influence restrict for any product with unfastened or separable magnets, together with these meant for functions together with leisure and stress reduction.
The CPSC additionally calls the magnets a safety risk and has issued quite a few recollects for merchandise that comprise them.
