BJS Open. 2022 May 2;6(3). doi: 10.1093/bjsopen/zrac056.
Magnets and button batteries (BBs) are dangerous ingested foreign bodies in children. The scale and consequences of this public health issue in the UK are unknown. This study aims to report the current management strategies and outcomes associated with paediatric magnet and BB ingestion in the UK.
This multicentre, retrospective observational study involved 13 UK tertiary paediatric surgery centres. Children aged under 17 years, admitted between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020, following magnet, or BB ingestion were included. Demographics, investigations, management, and complications were recorded.
In total, 263 patients were identified, comprising 146 (55.5 per cent) magnet, 112 (42.6 per cent) BB, and 5 (1.9 per cent) mixed magnet BB ingestions. Median (interquartile range) age was 4.8 (2.0-9.1) years and 47.5 per cent were female. In the magnet group, 38 (26.0 per cent) children swallowed single magnets, 3 of whom underwent endoscopic retrieval for oesophageal or gastric impaction. Of the 108 (74.0 per cent) children who swallowed multiple magnets, 51 (47.2 per cent) required endoscopic or surgical intervention, predominantly for failure of magnets to progress on serial imaging. Bowel perforations occurred in 10 children (9.3 per cent). Younger age and ingestion of greater numbers of multiple magnets were independently associated with surgery. BB ingestion caused morbidity in 14 children (12.5 per cent) and life-threatening injuries in two (1.8 per cent); the majority were caused by oesophageal BBs (64.3 per cent).
Multiple magnet and BB ingestions are associated with significant morbidity. Action must be taken at an international level to regulate the sale of magnets and BBs, and to raise awareness of the risks that these objects pose to children.
磁铁和纽扣电池（BB）是儿童吞食的危险异物。在英国，这种公共卫生问题的规模和后果尚不清楚。本研究旨在报告英国儿童磁铁和 BB 吞食的当前管理策略和结果。
这是一项多中心、回顾性观察研究，涉及英国 13 个三级儿科手术中心。2019 年 10 月 1 日至 2020 年 9 月 30 日期间，因磁铁或 BB 吞食而入院、年龄在 17 岁以下的儿童被纳入研究。记录了人口统计学、检查、管理和并发症等数据。
共确定了 263 例患者，其中 146 例（55.5%）为磁铁，112 例（42.6%）为 BB，5 例（1.9%）为混合磁铁 BB 吞食。中位数（四分位间距）年龄为 4.8（2.0-9.1）岁，47.5%为女性。在磁铁组中，38 例（26.0%）儿童吞食单个磁铁，其中 3 例因食管或胃嵌顿而行内镜取物。108 例（74.0%）吞食多个磁铁的儿童中，51 例（47.2%）需要内镜或手术干预，主要是因为磁铁在连续影像学检查中未移动。10 例（9.3%）儿童发生肠穿孔。年龄较小和吞食多个磁铁数量较多与手术独立相关。BB 吞食导致 14 例（12.5%）儿童出现并发症，2 例（1.8%）儿童出现危及生命的损伤；大多数是由食管 BB 引起的（64.3%）。
多种磁铁和 BB 吞食会导致严重的并发症。必须在国际层面采取行动，规范磁铁和 BB 的销售，并提高人们对这些物品对儿童构成的风险的认识。
