A five-year-old girl in Beijing, China, was rushed to hospital after accidentally swallowing a solid gold bar measuring about 4cm long and weighing 50g while playing at home.
The gold bar remained inside her stomach for more than six hours, raising fears that its hard and heavy surface could damage the digestive tract and potentially cause severe internal bleeding.
The girl was eventually taken to the emergency department at Capital Institute of Paediatrics, where an X-ray clearly showed the gold bar lying horizontally inside her stomach.
Doctors said the bar’s smooth surface, considerable weight and rigid structure made it difficult to remove in the narrow space of the stomach. The medical team prepared two possible approaches before carrying out the procedure under general anaesthesia.
Doctors first planned to use a snare device to secure and gently remove the gold bar. A rubber protective sleeve was also prepared as a backup in case the bar slipped during the procedure.
Fortunately, the operation went smoothly. Doctors successfully secured the gold bar with the snare and carefully guided it through the oesophagus, removing the 4cm-long, 50g object within minutes and avoiding potentially serious complications such as digestive tract bleeding or perforation.
The case also prompted doctors to warn parents against using traditional home remedies when children swallow foreign objects.
According to specialists, forcing a child to swallow food in an attempt to push the object down can cause further injury, while drinking vinegar will not dissolve metal or other foreign objects and may worsen damage to an already injured oesophagus.
Inducing vomiting can also be dangerous, particularly when the object is large, sharp, corrosive or consists of materials such as button batteries, as it could cause further injury or enter the airway.
Doctors advised parents who suspect that a child has swallowed a foreign object to stop giving the child food or water and seek medical attention immediately.
Objects with sharp edges, corrosive properties, powerful magnets or large sizes require urgent assessment at a hospital equipped to perform emergency endoscopic treatment. Early removal, often within six to 12 hours depending on the object and circumstances, can help reduce the risk of serious complications.
