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While toddlers often swallow small objects like coins or buttons, adults can also inadvertently ingest foreign bodies. A 2012 study published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International found that fish and chicken bones are the most common items swallowed by adults, but inorganic objects—coins, button batteries, and even razor blades—are also frequently ingested.
In approximately 80 % of cases, swallowed objects pass through the digestive tract without medical intervention. However, the harsh environment of stomach acid can alter even metal items, raising questions about the fate of ingested razor blades or batteries.
In a 1997 study in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, researchers exposed button batteries, razor blades, and pennies to simulated gastric acid. The experiment, supplemented by clinical observations of a volunteer who swallowed multiple razor blades, showed that a razor blade can lose up to 37 % of its integrity within 24 hours—rendering it dull and brittle enough to break apart. Pennies remained largely intact, while button batteries did not release their toxic contents, alleviating concerns about environmental contamination.
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Not all metal ingestion is harmful. The body requires trace elements such as iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, chromium, and even gold. Most household metal items pose little health risk unless they are large enough to obstruct the gastrointestinal tract, in which case an endoscopic removal may be necessary.
The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia houses the Chevalier Jackson Collection of Swallowed Objects, a testament to early endoscopic practice. Dr. Chevalier Jackson, known as the “Father of Endoscopy,” pioneered techniques to retrieve foreign bodies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His collection includes a wide array of items—metal jacks, bobby pins, toy ships, nails, brass buttons, and other objects small enough to slip down the throat.
Modern everyday objects pose new hazards. Batteries, in particular, can create fistulas or cause electric currents that damage tissue. Many batteries contain heavy metals like lead, which can also be found in certain toys, jewelry, bullet casings, and fishing sinkers. The safest practice remains to consume only food and liquids.
