Watch out for small, powerful magnets
This week’s experts:
Dr Ruth Barker, Emergency Paediatrician; Director, Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit
Drawn from Dr David Lim’s interview with Dr Ruth Barker on the Healthed Podcast, ‘The Clinical Takeaway’.
While GPs should now be aware of the danger posed by ingesting button batteries, Dr Ruth Barker wants increased awareness of the problems associated with the ingestion of small, powerful magnets.
– Injuries caused by the ingestion or inappropriate use of small, powerful magnets are increasingly common in Australia
– The danger is largely confined to small, powerful magnets. Larger or weaker magnets do not pose the same risk
– In general these dangerous magnets are found in desk toys marketed to adults – sets of small magnets that can be ...
