Schuh Jennifer M, Dounce Carlos, Morelos Araceli, Perez Justin, Abebrese Emmanuel, Bergner Carisa, Salazar Jose H
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI.
Tec de Monterrey School of Medicine, NL, Mexico.
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2025 Sep 1;41(9):732-737. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000003335. Epub 2025 Apr 11.
Water beads expand by absorption and are used as toys and decorations among other purposes. When ingested, they have been implicated in small bowel obstructions. Laxatives have been administered after ingestion to prevent obstruction. Our primary aim was to evaluate the growth patterns and maximal diameter of various water beads in multiple solutions. Our secondary aim was to identify a liquid capable of shrinking expanded water beads.
Water beads (10 standard-size brands; 3 jumbo) were tested for growth and shrinking. Growth was assessed in 9 clinically relevant liquids (eg, tap water, simulated gastric fluid) and shrinkage in 4 (Gastrographin, Omnipaque, honey, and Gatorade). Diameter was measured at intervals for 96 hours. Expanded beads were transferred to shrinking solutions and measured for 24 hours.
Standard-size water beads grew to a maximum range of 0.9 cm to 1.7 cm. Jumbo beads grew to a maximum range of 4.9 to 6.0 cm. All brands grew in polyethylene glycol. Gastrographin and honey shrank expanded jumbo beads (mean diameter decrease at 24 h of 31% and 32%, respectively).
In vitro growth of water beads demonstrates that standard-size beads do not grow larger than most blueberries and are unlikely obstructive culprits, but jumbo beads can grow larger than a golf ball. Water beads substantially expand in polyethylene glycol, which puts into question its use as a laxative to treat water bead ingestions. Gastrographin and honey shrink water beads; clinical utility should be explored.
吸水珠遇水膨胀，被用作玩具、装饰品等。吞食后，它们可能导致小肠梗阻。吞食后会使用泻药以预防梗阻。我们的主要目的是评估多种溶液中不同吸水珠的生长模式和最大直径。次要目的是找出一种能使膨胀吸水珠收缩的液体。
对10个标准尺寸品牌和3个特大号吸水珠进行生长和收缩测试。在9种临床相关液体（如自来水、模拟胃液）中评估生长情况，在4种液体（泛影葡胺、欧乃派克、蜂蜜和佳得乐）中评估收缩情况。每隔一段时间测量直径，持续96小时。将膨胀的珠子转移到收缩溶液中并测量24小时。
标准尺寸的吸水珠最大可膨胀至0.9厘米至1.7厘米。特大号珠子最大可膨胀至4.9至6.0厘米。所有品牌在聚乙二醇中都会膨胀。泛影葡胺和蜂蜜可使膨胀的特大号珠子收缩（24小时时平均直径分别减小31%和32%）。
吸水珠的体外生长表明，标准尺寸的珠子不会比大多数蓝莓大，不太可能是梗阻的元凶，但特大号珠子能比高尔夫球还大。吸水珠在聚乙二醇中会大幅膨胀，这使其作为治疗吞食吸水珠的泻药的用途受到质疑。泛影葡胺和蜂蜜可使吸水珠收缩，应探索其临床应用价值。
