Intestinal volvulus and obstruction due to combined button battery and magnet ingestion: a medico-legal case report
Abstract
This study presents a medico-legal case study of an infant who died as a result of intestinal volvulus, a rare but severe complication secondary to the ingestion of multiple magnets and button batteries. The mutual attraction of magnets through adjacent intestinal loops, compounded by the corrosive effects of button batteries, can precipitate rapid and irreversible damage to the gastrointestinal wall. A comprehensive review of the literature on documented pediatric cases involving the ingestion of magnets and button batteries was undertaken to compare the spectrum and frequency of complications. The post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) proved to be a valuable adjunctive tool in medico-legal diagnostics, aiding in the identification and precise localization of foreign bodies prior to dissection, as well as in the assessment of the extent of internal injuries.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
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