foreign objects
Things that don't belong
Foreign objects are items found where they don't belong—typically inside the human body or machinery.
In medical contexts, a foreign object might be a swallowed coin, an inhaled bead, or debris in a wound: The X-ray revealed a foreign object in her stomach.
In manufacturing or food safety, foreign objects are contaminants that shouldn't be present: The recall was due to foreign objects in the product.
The term emphasizes that something has intruded into a space where it has no natural place.
- debrisScattered broken fragments
- intrusionUnauthorized entry into space
- splinterThin sharp fragment
- lodgedFixed firmly within
- contaminationIntroduction of impurities
swallowed · swallowed whole · embedded · removal · obstruction · alien · invader · extraction · metal · glass · metal detector · shard · airway · choking hazard · wound · open wound · emergency room · detected
- aviation hazardsbird strike, engine failure, icing, midair collision, pilot error
- Recallsdrug recall, food recall, mandatory recall, voluntary recall, recall notice
- medical errorsmedication errors, surgical errors, surgical error, misdiagnosis, medication error
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