How Tragic

From the LVRJ: Julian Wilson was almost two years old when he died from ingesting a small battery Oct. 18.
According to the Clark County coroner’s office, Julian died of internal bleeding with lacerations in his esophagus, gastric irritation and a collapsed lung.
“Nobody knew, really, what it was,” Julian’s grandmother, Elena Derbyshire, said.
Paramedics were called when the child began vomiting blood.
Even the doctors had trouble figuring it out, Derbyshire said, and no one knows when the battery was swallowed.
“They didn’t know what it was in the X-ray. They didn’t figure out it was a battery until they did the autopsy,” she said....
While deaths from battery ingestion are rare, the complications can be incredibly dangerous.
A button battery, from household items like remote controls, watches and hearing aids reacts with saliva and creates an electrical charge that can seriously burn the esophagus in as little as two hours and treatment requires multiple surgeries, according to the National Capital Poison Center. Permanent damage is common.
“The longer (batteries) are in contact with the tissue, the worse it can be,” Nevada Poison Center spokesman Sarah Bruhn said.
“We see kids getting into them a lot. We probably get calls every day,” she said. “We always recommend they go see a physician and get an X-ray.”  http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas-toddler-dies-swallowing-small-battery
Sadly, I never realized how serious swallowing a battery could be.  I guess it just doesn't pass through.