Skip to main content
Journal of Accident & Emergency Medicine logoLink to Journal of Accident & Emergency Medicine
. 1994 Sep;11(3):201–203. doi: 10.1136/emj.11.3.201

Aluminium ring pulls: an invisible foreign body.

G D Stewart 1, M V Lakshmi 1, A Jackson 1
PMCID: PMC1342434  PMID: 7804592

Abstract

The aluminium ring pulls associated with the latest designs of drinks cans can be relatively easily detached from their mounting on the top of the can and subsequently aspirated. Their small size predisposes them to lodge as foreign bodies (FBs) in the throat. The similarity of atomic number between soft tissue (7.5) and aluminium (13) makes detection of these FBs difficult on soft tissue radiography. If aspiration is suspected direct visualization and removal may be indicated even if radiography is negative.

Full text

PDF
201

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ell S. R., Sprigg A. The radio-opacity of fishbones--species variation. Clin Radiol. 1991 Aug;44(2):104–107. doi: 10.1016/s0009-9260(05)80506-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Hewitt G. An aluminium foreign body in the oesophagus. Ulster Med J. 1992 Apr;61(1):106–107. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Payne S. D., Henry M. Radiolucent dentures impacted in the oesophagus. Br J Surg. 1984 Apr;71(4):318–318. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800710426. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Accident & Emergency Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES