Fatalities Due To Intestinal Obstruction Following The Ingestion Of Foreign Bodies

Two fatalities due to an occlusive ileus following the ingestion of foreign bodies in patients with psychiatric disorders are described. A severely mentally handicapped young man developed a temperature and died 1h after admission to a surgical ward. At autopsy, ~2000 cm3 of foreign material, including broken glass and porcelain, branches, buttons, parts of clothing and other materials were found in the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a complete obstruction of the distal intestine and colon with resulting faecal vomiting. The other case was even more unusual as a hair fetishist had swallowed a thick strand of his own hair, 50cm long, also resulting in mechanical obstruction of the distal intestine.