Pediatric coin ingestion and aspiration

SummaryObjectiveTo determine the relationship between physical characteristics of the coin (size), age of the victim, the amount of coins in circulation, and the frequency and outcome of pediatric coin ingestion and aspiration injuries.MethodsRecords of coin related ingestion and aspiration injuries occurring to children 14 years of age or younger were acquired from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Logistic regression was conducted to control for mutual confounding among variables.ResultsFrom 1994 to 2003, an estimated 252,338 children were treated in hospital emergency departments for non-fatal coin-related ingestion or aspiration, and additional 20 fatalities were reported during the same time span. Children 4 years of age or younger were at the highest risk. It is also observed that younger children are the most vulnerable victims of ingestion and/or aspiration of small coins (e.g., pennies), while older children are more likely to be treated due to ingestion and/or aspiration of larger coins (e.g., quarters). Pennies were involved in more incidents than all other coins combined. The hospitalization rate exhibited a negative correlation with the measure of the diameter and the weight of the coins. The overwhelming majority (94%) of the incidents were ingestion, whereas aspiration victims were more likely to encounter hospitalization.ConclusionsWe hope that this study will raise public and health practitioners’ awareness of the risk, and increase supervision, particular of the most vulnerable young children.