Detectors find swallowed metal

FDA Consumer, Nov, 1999

Hand-held metal detectors are just as accurate as x-rays in finding coins and other metallic objects swallowed by children, according to a recent study. Not only that, they're cheaper and radiation-free. Teams of investigators scanned 176 subjects suspected of having swallowed a metallic object.

In most cases the object was detected. While coins may pass uneventfully into the stomach, coins that become lodged in the esophagus can cause complications and possibly death if not detected early. (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, August 1999)