A four-year-old boy described as a "cheerful and active" child with a healthy appetite has tragically died after swallowing fridge magnets that caused catastrophic internal injuries, a coroner's inquest has concluded.
Inquest Reveals Heartbreaking Sequence of Events
Bohuslav Curi, from Fenton in Stoke-on-Trent, passed away at Royal Stoke University Hospital on August 25 last year following a rapid deterioration in his health. The inquest into his death heard how what initially appeared to be a simple case of vomiting escalated into a life-threatening medical emergency.
Initial Symptoms and Rapid Decline
According to medical evidence presented at the hearing, Bohuslav first became unwell on Wednesday, August 20, with symptoms his parents initially believed were caused by overeating. The young boy experienced vomiting and abdominal pain over several days, with brief periods of improvement that gave false reassurance.
Dr Matthew Harkess, a paediatrician at Royal Stoke University Hospital who was on duty when Bohuslav was admitted, detailed the timeline of the child's final days. "His problems began on the Wednesday evening," Dr Harkess told the court. "His mum described this as a simple case of vomiting. That continued over the course of Thursday, where he also began reporting abdominal pain."
The situation took a dramatic turn on Sunday morning when Bohuslav's condition deteriorated significantly. His mother reported that he became increasingly lethargic and his vomit changed to a concerning green and black colour - green indicating bile and black suggesting the presence of blood.
Emergency Hospital Admission
When Bohuslav became "floppy" and unable to stand by himself, his mother immediately called for an ambulance. The child was blue-lighted to hospital but went into cardiac arrest shortly after arrival at approximately 1:06am.
Emergency department teams commenced cardiopulmonary resuscitation and continued their efforts for over half an hour. Dr Harkess described the scene: "The patient arrived at the emergency department just before 1am. My understanding from the paramedic team is that he attended via ambulance and that within a very short time of his arrival he started deteriorating rapidly."
Medical staff noted that when they attempted to insert an endotracheal tube, large amounts of dark green vomitus was present in the airway - a sign commonly associated with bowel obstruction.
Medical Investigation Reveals Tragic Cause
Pathologist Dr Marta Cohen conducted the post-mortem examination that revealed the shocking cause of Bohuslav's death. A CT scan had shown metallic objects in the boy's bowel, later identified as fridge magnets.
"The CT scan showed a metallic body in the bowel, made up of two small objects," Dr Cohen explained. "Internal examination confirmed that a one-by-one centimetre magnet was perforating through the bowel. This was attached to a second magnet."
Catastrophic Internal Damage
The perforation caused by the magnets led to acute peritonitis - inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal cavity - which subsequently developed into sepsis as dangerous bacteria spread from the gut.
Dr Cohen confirmed: "He had suffered a short four-day history of vomiting and abdominal pain. His vomiting became a green-black colour. He became lethargic. The clinical suspicion was one of intra-abdominal pathology, with possible bowel perforation."
Coroner's Conclusions and Family Tributes
Coroner Daniel Howe recorded a conclusion that Bohuslav died from complications suffered after eating fridge magnets. In his remarks, he painted a picture of a beloved child who faced challenges with hearing loss and some developmental delay but was generally fit and well.
"Bohuslav Curi was a four-year-old boy living with his parents and grandparents," the coroner said. "He was described as a cheerful and active child. Despite these challenges, he was generally fit and well. He was described as a good eater - sometimes seeming to be constantly hungry."
Safety Warning Implicit in Findings
The coroner noted that although Bohuslav was not known to put foreign objects into his mouth, he had somehow consumed the magnets at an unknown time. The objects were recovered and identified by Bohuslav's parents as fridge magnets used at their home address.
"I find that Bohuslav died as a complication as a result of eating these magnets, which caused a perforation, leading to acute peritonitis and sepsis," Coroner Howe concluded.
This tragic case serves as a stark reminder of the hidden dangers that seemingly harmless household items can pose to young children, particularly those with developmental differences or curious natures. The sequence of events - from initial mild symptoms to rapid deterioration - highlights how quickly such incidents can escalate into life-threatening emergencies.
