While most ingested coins pass through the digestive system without incident, it’s important to understand the potential risks and know when to seek medical attention.
Here’s a breakdown of what can happen
- Obstruction: The coin may become lodged in the esophagus, which can cause difficulty swallowing, drooling, vomiting, neck pain, chest pain, and coughing.
- Intestinal Blockage: In rare cases, the coin can get stuck further down in the intestines, causing abdominal pain, vomiting, or changes in bowel movements.
- Complications: While rare, potential complications can include perforation (a tear) of the digestive tract, leading to serious issues like mediastinitis (inflammation of the mediastinum), peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining), and sepsis (a life-threatening response to infection).
- Toxicity: Coins, particularly pennies minted after 1982 (which contain corrosive zinc), can lead to stomach ulceration or, in rare cases, metal poisoning if they remain in the stomach for an extended period.
- Trouble breathing, speaking, or swallowing: These are signs of a possible airway obstruction and require immediate emergency care.
- Difficulty swallowing, drooling, or chest pain: These symptoms suggest a coin may be stuck in the esophagus and require prompt medical evaluation.
- Abdominal pain, vomiting, or bloody stools: These symptoms may indicate the coin is causing a problem in the intestines and require urgent medical attention.
- If you suspect your child has swallowed a button battery, multiple magnets, or a sharp object: These objects pose a higher risk of complications and require immediate medical evaluation, regardless of symptoms.
- If a swallowed coin does not pass naturally within a few days: Your child’s doctor may recommend an X-ray to locate the coin and determine the next course of action, [according to Seattle Children’s Hospital].
- Stay calm: Panicking can make the situation worse.
- Don’t try to remove the coin with your fingers or induce vomiting: This could accidentally dislodge the coin and cause it to enter the airway, which is very dangerous.
- If your child is breathing normally and not showing signs of distress: Consult with your pediatrician or family doctor, who may advise you to monitor the situation for the coin to pass naturally.
- Keep the child hydrated: Encourage them to drink fluids to help facilitate bowel movements.
- Check the child’s stools for the coin: This will help you know if the coin has passed.
- X-ray: An X-ray is typically used to locate the coin.
- Endoscopy: If the coin is stuck in the esophagus or stomach, or if it is causing symptoms, an endoscopic procedure may be necessary to remove it.
- Foley Catheter Retrieval or Bougienage: In some cases, a doctor may attempt to retrieve a coin lodged in the esophagus using a Foley catheter or advance it to the stomach using a bougienage.
- Surgery: In rare cases of severe complications, such as intestinal obstruction or perforation, surgery may be required to remove the coin and address the complication.
It’s crucial to remember that this information is for general knowledge and should not replace professional medical advice. If your child has swallowed a coin, always consult with your doctor or seek immediate medical attention to ensure your child’s safety and well-being.
Should I take my kid to the ER if he swallowed a coin?
Thanks for asking. “If your child has swallowed a penny, or any coin, take her to your pediatrician or the emergency room right away,” says Charles Howell, MD, a pediatric surgeon at MCG Children’s Hospital, in Augusta, Georgia.
How long does it take for a baby to pass a coin?
Thanks for asking. What You Should Expect: Swallowed objects almost always make it to the stomach. Once there, they usually travel safely through the intestines. They are passed in a normal stool in 2 or 3 days.