Doctors warn patients about loom band risks

Posted: December 30, 2014

Posted in: Personal Injury 

Doctors are warning patients and members of the public about the dangers of loom bands.  This new trend has seen numerous cases of children getting loom bands stuck in their noses and throats. The Journal of Laryngology and Otology reports that parents need to be vigilant to prevent accidents from happening.  The bands can become fixed in children’s throats, causing serious choking.

Loom bands are amongst this year’s most popular toys. The small, multi-coloured elastic bands are woven to make bracelets, yet emergency doctors reported four cases of loom band-related accidents in one week alone. Staff at Monklands hospital in Scotland urged parents to watch children playing with these bands. They stressed that an inhaled band could prove fatal.

“Cardiorespiratory arrest and death”

Report author and surgical registrar, Dr Iain Bohler, said that although the bands allow children to play in a creative way, they do carry potential danger.  He said: “they can lead to blocked airways, cardiorespiratory arrest and death.”

Two of the children at Monklands hospital had the plastic hooks – used to make the loom bands – stuck in their noses. One of the children actually swallowed the hook as a result of choking.  Both patients required local anesthetic to have the hooks removed by crocodile forceps.

Loom bands were first created in 2011 and have since turned into a worldwide craze. Celebrities such as David Beckham and the Duchess of Cambridge have been seen wearing them.

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