Small bowel obstruction secondary to foam earplug ingestion

We describe a case of a 12 month old male who presented with small bowel obstruction (SBO) secondary to ingestion of a foam ear plug. Both X-ray and ultrasound demonstrated a small bowel obstruction but failed to pick up the ear plug. Laparotomy and removal of the object led to an uncomplicated recovery. This case highlights the need to consider foam and other expanding substances as potential causes of small bowel obstruction (vs bilious vomiting and obstipation) in infants.
Source: Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports - Category: Surgery Source Type: research