In a bizarre incident, a man in Himachal Pradesh was found with seven spoons, two toothbrushes, two screwdrivers, a metal rod and a knife in his stomach.
The mentally-challenged man was being treated at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College in Mandi where doctors on Saturday said the patient’s condition is critical.
The man came to the hospital with acute stomach ache and an X-ray revealed he had metallic objects in his stomach.
1,440 items found in the stomach of a patient suffering from pica. Taken at the Glore Psychiatric Museum, Saint Joseph, Missouri.
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Pica is a psychological disorder characterized by an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive, such as ice (pagophagia); hair (trichophagia); paper (xylophagia);[1] drywall or paint; sharp objects (acuphagia)[2]; metal (metallophagia); stones (lithophagia) or soil (geophagia); glass (hyalophagia); feces (coprophagia); and chalk.[3]
According to DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition) criteria, for these actions to be considered pica, they must persist for more than one month at an age where eating such objects is considered developmentally inappropriate, not part of culturally sanctioned practice, and sufficiently severe to warrant clinical attention. It can lead to intoxication in children, which can result in an impairment of both physical and mental development.[4] In addition, it can also lead to surgical emergencies due to an intestinal obstruction as well as more subtle symptoms such as nutritional deficiencies and parasitosis.[4] Pica has been linked to other mental and emotional disorders. Stressors such as emotional trauma, maternal deprivation, family issues, parental neglect, pregnancy, and a disorganized family structure are strongly linked to pica as a form of comfort.[5]
Pica is most commonly seen in pregnant women,[6] small children, and persons with developmental disabilities such as autism.[7] Children eating painted plaster containing lead may suffer brain damage from lead poisoning. There is a similar risk from eating soil near roads that existed before tetraethyllead in petrol was phased out (in some countries) or before people stopped using contaminated oil (containing toxic PCBs or dioxin) to settle dust. In addition to poisoning, there is also a much greater risk of gastro-intestinal obstruction or tearing in the stomach. Another risk of eating soil is the ingestion of animal feces and accompanying parasites. Pica can also be found in other animals and is commonly found in dogs[8] and cats[citation needed].