English hospitals report thousands of rectal foreign body removals

Data obtained through more than 100 Freedom of Information requests reveals that thousands of foreign objects have been extracted from patients' rectums by hospitals in England since 2022. An analysis of the data shows that over 1,500 people attended Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments for rectal foreign bodies during 2022 alone.

Items removed by medical staff included a wide variety of household and edible objects. Reported items included vapes, TV remotes, Lego bricks, shampoo bottles, door handles, toothbrushes, and mobile phones. Other extracted objects ranged from metal tools like screwdrivers and razor blades to food items such as cucumbers, grapes, and boiled eggs.

In specific regions, hospitals in south London reported removing beer bottles and Lego bricks wrapped in balloons, while clinicians in Berkshire removed a combination of a Nerf bullet, a Coke can, and a toilet brush handle in a single instance. Chris Nordstrom, an A&E consultant at Northwick Park Hospital, stated that while such incidents are relatively uncommon, the medical priority is to provide “safe, compassionate and non-judgmental care,” urging those in difficulty to seek prompt medical attention to avoid further injury.