Delhi man swallows coins, magnets to get zinc for body building
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New Delhi: A 26-year-old man in Delhi was taken to emergency room after swallowing 39 coins and 37 magnets wrongly believing they could help in body-building, NDTV reported on Tuesday.
The bizarre regimen for body building came to light when doctors at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital probed the patient who had abdominal pain for more than 20 days alongside vomiting and was unable to eat anything.
The patient's relatives revealed he had eaten coins and magnets over the past few weeks and was on treatment for some psychiatric illness.
An x-ray of his abdomen showed radio-opaque shadows resembling coins and magnets.
Further CT scan revealed a huge load of coins and magnets causing blockage of the intestine.
Later during surgery, the magnets and coins were found in the small intestine in two different loops, caused from the pull of magnets.
Opening the intestines, the coins and magnets were removed and the loops were rejoined by two different anastomoses, according to NDTV.
Subsequently, doctors also removed huge load of coins and magnets from his stomach too.
Doctors reportedly said they removed a total of 39 coins (Rs 1, 2, 5 coins) and 37 magnets (heart, spherical, star, bullet and triangle shapes).
A subsequent X-ray showed no foreign bodies in his body and the patient was discharged ‘in a healthy condition’ after seven days.
The patient, reportedly said he had eaten coins thinking zinc contained in them could help in body-building.
He ingested the magnets to keep coins in the intestine for better absorption of zinc.
Doctors involved in the procedure include Dr Tarun Mittal, Dr Ashish Dey and Dr Anmol Ahuja (consultants); Dr Vikram Singh (clinical assistant); Dr Tanushree and Dr Karthik (residents).
