Ever Swallow A Foreign Object—Yikes! It’s Expensive!!!

Ever swallow a foreign object by mistake?  Once as a 4 year old a lodged a cashew nut up my nose, but that's about it for your early morning radio pal!!

According to a new study, it costs a lot of money to treat people who intentionally swallow foreign objects.

Researchers analyzed 305 cases of 33 people intentionally ingesting foreign objects that occurred over about eight years at a hospital in Rhode Island.

The most common items swallowed were pens, followed by batteries, knives, razor blades, other metal objects, pencils, toothbrushes, spoons and coins.

Getting this stuff out of the people who ate it cost about $2 million -- most of it paid by Medicare and Medicaid.

The doctors also pointed out that recurring cases of intentional swallowing are often resistant to treatment, including medication. Some patients even swallowed items while being watched by guards.