The hazards of button battery ingestion

Shalaby1 stresses the potentially dangerous outcome of magnet ingestion. It is there-fore opportune to highlight the import-ance of increasing awareness of magnet and button battery ingestion. There are many household battery-operated items in the modern home including toys, remote controls, hearing aids, that contribute to the availability of button batteries to young children. Children may mistake them for sweets or pills, leading to inad-vertent ingestion. The size and power of batteries have changed over the decades. Despite precau-tions such as blister packs and education of families, there is often a failure to prevent such accidents and the incidence of these events is ever increasing.2 Depending on whether the event has been witnessed or not, the presentation may vary. Even if witnessed, there remains a lack of understanding in parents and medical personnel alike as to the emer-gency nature of such an event. There is an imminent need to spread awareness to the general public as well as medical front-line staff about the potentially catastrophic outcomes of inadvertent button battery ingestion and the need for early interven-tion and a high index of suspicion.2–4