Rectangular Metal Object Found in Stomach
Gold Bar Removed from Intestines Using Endoscope
A boy in China accidentally swallowed a 100g gold bar. On the 12th (local time), the Chinese online media Bastille Post reported that an 11-year-old boy living in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, was playing at home when he accidentally swallowed a 100g gold bar and was taken to the hospital. After swallowing the gold bar, the boy experienced increasing abdominal pain and bloating over time, and upon realizing this, his parents took him to the pediatric emergency room of a nearby university hospital.
A boy in China accidentally swallowed a 100g gold bar. On the 12th (local time), the Chinese online media Bastille Post reported that an 11-year-old boy living in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, accidentally swallowed a 100g gold bar while playing at home and was taken to the hospital. Bastille Post
An X-ray revealed a rectangular metal object in the boy’s stomach. After hearing the boy’s explanation, the medical staff suspected it was a gold bar and admitted Xiaochen to the general surgery department, waiting for the gold bar to be naturally expelled through bowel movements with medication. However, even after two days, the gold bar was not expelled and remained in the same position.
The medical team was concerned about the risk of intestinal obstruction or perforation due to the size of the gold bar. Considering the boy’s age, they decided to remove the gold bar using an endoscope instead of open surgery. The surgeon successfully removed the gold bar within 30 minutes. The extracted gold bar weighed 100g, which is worth about 15 million KRW at current market prices. Fortunately, the boy recovered quickly after the surgery and was discharged two days later, eating normally.
Meanwhile, young children need to be cautious as they can swallow small toys like blocks. In Japan and the United States, incidents of infants swallowing magnetic beads have frequently occurred, prompting safety warnings since 2021. In South Korea as well, swallowing accidents have been reported as play involving magnetic beads has spread online.
If a child swallows foreign objects such as coins or small toys, forcibly inducing vomiting can be more dangerous. It is best to identify what was swallowed and respond accordingly. Small foreign objects pass through the stool about 90% of the time, but if the object is long, sharp, or suspected to contain toxic substances like mercury or lead, immediate hospital visit is necessary.
If a foreign object is stuck in the throat, position the child’s upper body as low as possible, tap their back to help them expel the object, or insert a finger into the mouth and press the base of the tongue firmly to induce vomiting. Even if the object is not dangerous, if the child vomits or their complexion worsens and they become weak after swallowing, it is best to visit a hospital as soon as possible.
If the child is having difficulty breathing or showing signs of distress, call 119 and attempt the Heimlich maneuver. For infants, place the head lower on one arm, support the face, and tap the middle of the back 4-5 times with the palm. Be careful not to tap too hard. For toddlers, place them face down on your thigh with knees bent, then use two fingers to apply strong and quick pressure about 4cm deep just below the center between the nipples. The Heimlich maneuver applies strong pressure to the abdomen and can cause organ damage. It should only be performed in urgent situations with airway obstruction, and even if the foreign object is removed, a hospital visit is necessary to check for abdominal organ damage.
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