Retention of Iron Bezoar in the Colon Despite Seven Days of Whole Bowel Irrigation after Accidental Iron Ingestion with Iron Overdose: A Pediatric Case Report
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Abstract
A 2-year-6-month-old Thai boy presented at the ER with an accidental iron overdose. The boy had ingested 67 mg/kg of elemental iron 4 hours before arriving. Abdominal imaging revealed iron tablets, and serum iron at 6 hours after ingestion was 419 mcg/dL. Although retained iron tablets were eliminated by 7 days of whole bowel irrigation and serum iron decreased to 51 mcg/dL, plain abdominal film and computerized tomography scan of the whole abdomen revealed the retention of iron tablets in the large intestine. Eventually, all iron tablets could be eliminated after starting enteral feeding without additional whole bowel irrigation 13 days after ingestion with no acute complications from the long whole bowel irrigation.
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