Numismedica II: Health Problems Caused by Coins

Abstract

Coins occasionally cause health problems. These problems have a wide range of presentations and can affect multiple organ systems. This article updates a 2009 review of the medical literature addressing health problems caused by coins in several ways. The spectrum of clinical findings is expanded by describing new entities associated with coin ingestion, including laryngeal impaction in adults, gastric perforation, and pancreatic disease. Guidelines for differentiating swallowed coins from the potentially life-threatening mimic of swallowed button batteries are summarized. Multiple new case series better define outcomes and management approaches in coin ingestion. Metal toxicity from coins remains rarely reported. The evidence that systemic allergic reactions can result from ingested coins is strengthened by new case reports. Maintaining the perspective that coin ingestion can cause obscure symptoms may lead to both a diagnosis of the cause of such symptoms and the description of clinical findings not yet reported.