After analyzing the article, “Magnet ingestion knows no borders: A threat for Latin American children”,1 we wish to share some of our observations.
The title is not precisely specific to the material and methods employed. Forming a very generalized idea through limited information from a few countries, the present work expresses it as a single concept of an entire continent. We feel it is overly ambitious and erroneous to attempt to create a general idea of Latin America, when there are aspects that could be more deeply explored, such as the specialists consulted, the number of countries, and socioeconomic levels, among other inclusion z criteria we will detail below.
With respect to the first point, we can see how a consensus is arrived at from the ideas and contributions of gastroenterology and endoscopy specialists from different countries, but we also believe the work of sonographers should be included, given that the majority of cases are emergencies, and a specialist is not always available, whether because of the type of healthcare center or due to some other factor. In contrast, sonography is a much more accessible procedure that can be performed quickly, and because it is not an invasive method, like endoscopy, it can be more tolerable for a child.2
Next, the socioeconomic and cultural levels should be taken into account as variables of interest because they can affect the health of the child in different ways. The socioeconomic level is reflected in the area of residence (which may be far from a medical center, the family may not have the resources necessary for getting to a center quickly, or due to economic limitations the advantage of choosing a center is not a possibility, making the closest center the only option) or in the money available (having insurance or not) for paying for the necessary procedures and tests. Culturally, the educational level of the child’s parents can have a notable influence on how quickly it is understood that magnet ingestion is a medical emergency and must be treated as quickly as possible.3
In addition, the mental health status of the child should be considered in the inclusion criteria, given that a child with an intellectual disability requires special care, different from that of a healthy child. Even though it is a small group of patients in whom foreign body ingestion is voluntary, it does occur and for different reasons. For example, patients with affective, psychotic, or personality disorders and/or intellectual disability can ingest them as an act of self-harm or an attempt to seek attention in their environment.4
Lastly, the type of magnet ingested should also be considered, i.e., whether it involves a magnetic metal or a magnetic battery. The distinct types can be located at different levels of the digestive tract and their attraction to each other can cause severe complications, such as transmural pressure necrosis, fistulas, perforation, intestinal volvulus, and even death due to sepsis.5
Financial disclosureNo financial support was received in relation to this article.
Conflict of interestThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
We appreciate all the hard work and talent brought to the team to achieve this project.
Please cite this article as: Llanco-Albornoz LA, Mancini-Olaechea AR, Levano-Cerna PC. La ingestión de imanes no conoce fronteras: una amenaza para los niños latinoamericanos, aspectos no considerados en el estudio. Rev Gastroenterol Méx. 2023;88:193–194.