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I have swallowed a square magnet. Please help.

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I swallowed a square magnet. Will it harm me?
Answered by Dr. Lohit Chauhan

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Lohit Chauhan is a Family Physician dedicated to providing comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. With over a decade of clinical expertise, he focuses on preventive care, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment to help patients achieve optimal health. His approach emphasizes not only managing illness but also promoting overall well-being and vitality, enabling patients to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

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Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

You should get an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy done, and if the magnet is in the reach of the endoscope, it should be removed on an urgent basis. According to you, it is a single magnet. A single magnet will rarely cause symptoms, but if you have ingested multiple magnets or magnet along with a metal object, you need to get them removed as soon as possible. For a single magnet, its size will decide the course; if it has reached into the stomach or small intestine, and if it is less than 0.9 inches in all dimension, it should pass down in stools (there is 85 percent chance that it will pass down). Just check your stools for the next 24 to 72 hours. If it does not pass for more than 72 hours or if the size is larger than 0.9 inches, or the longest dimension is more than 2 inches, you should reach out an endoscopist to get it removed with a grasping forceps.

Take care.

Investigations to be done

1. X-ray abdomen erect to look for the location of the magnet. 2. Upper GI endoscopy, if it is in reach of the endoscope (that is till first or second part of duodenum).
Medically reviewed by Dr. Divya Banu M
Published At April 7, 2019
Reviewed At July 25, 2024

Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Lohit Chauhan is a Family Physician dedicated to providing comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. With over a decade of clinical expertise, he focuses on preventive care, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment to help patients achieve optimal health. His approach emphasizes not only managing illness but also promoting overall well-being and vitality, enabling patients to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Divya Banu M is a dedicated Dental Surgeon with valuable clinical experience. She specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of various diseases and conditions affecting the oral cavity. With a gentle and patient-centered approach, she is committed to promoting oral health and enhancing smiles through quality dental care. Her areas of expertise include restorative dentistry, preventive dental care, and cosmetic dental procedures.

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Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Lohit Chauhan
Dr. Lohit Chauhan

General Medicine

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Education:

MBBS

Professional Bio:

Dr. Lohit Chauhan is a Family Physician dedicated to providing comprehensive healthcare for individuals and families. With over a decade of clinical expertise, he focuses on preventive care, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment to help patients achieve optimal health. His approach emphasizes not only managing illness but also promoting overall well-being and vitality, enabling patients to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality
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