What To Do If Accidentally Swallowed Pieces Of Broken Ceramic Knife?

Posted on Tue, 26 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 Answered on

Tue, 17 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I accidentally swallowed small pieces of a broke ceramic knife. I found the leading edge of the knife broke off when cutting frozen biscuit. However, I found the broken knife after ingesting what I though was thick egg shell. I do not seem have any issues for now - but has a small concern of the little pieces I know I swallowed. Suggestions? (Sit and wait or get an xray)

Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (41 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Sit and wait! Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for this query. There is really nothing to worry about. The pieces are sufficiently small to go through the entire digestive tract without any problem. Even pennies have been able to go through the intestines of children who accidentally swallow them without any major problems. My suggestion is to sit and wait. Only seek further medical attention if anything else should come up and not because you swallowed these tiny pieces. I hope this reliefs your fears. Thanks for using our services and do feel free to ask for clarifications if need be. I wish you well. Dr. Ditah, MD

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar