OT and other news

[Metspitzer]

Woman accidentally swallows knife ? Again

A 30-year-old woman with a history of bulimia presented to the emergency department after swallowing a knife. She inserted the knife into the posterior oropharynx to demonstrate to her companions that she no longer had a gag reflex.

When she unexpectedly laughed, the knife migrated into her esophagus, causing chest discomfort and hematemesis. Anteroposterior chest and abdominal radiographs revealed a knife within the distal esophagus and proximal stomach, without evidence of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, or pneumoperitoneum.

A rigid esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed to remove the knife. Her husband later disclosed that 4 years earlier she had swallowed a knife that required surgical removal with exploratory laparotomy.

Consultation with a psychiatrist was recommended, and the patient was later transferred to an inpatient psychiatric unit.

------------------- Yeah, right. She was transferred so the doctor could explain safer ways to demonstrate not having a gag reflex.

[Kurt Ullman]

I am sure there was at least a guy or two around who would have loved to provide a safer method to demonstrate that she no longer had a gag reflex.

[Frank]

h a history of bulimia presented to the emergency department after swallowi= ng a knife. She inserted the knife into the posterior oropharynx to demonst= rate to her companions that she no longer had a gag reflex. When she unexpe= ctedly laughed, the knife migrated into her esophagus, causing chest discom= fort and hematemesis. Anteroposterior chest and abdominal radiographs revea= led a knife within the distal esophagus and proximal stomach, without evide= nce of pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, or pneumoperitoneum. A rigid esopha= gogastroduodenoscopy was performed to remove the knife. Her husband later d= isclosed that 4 years earlier she had swallowed a knife that required surgi= cal removal with exploratory laparotomy. Consultation with a psychiatrist w= as recommended, and the patient was later transferred to an inpatient psych= iatric unit. ------------------- Yeah, right. She was transferred so the do= ctor could explain safer ways to demonstrate not having a gag reflex.

Years ago I had access to the JAMA in our library. It was amazing all the = funny stuff that folks would jam into their orifaces.

[Tegger]

Metspitzer wrote in news: [e-mail]:

She certainly shouldn't be recommended for a job as a circus sword- swallower; I've noticed that few of them laugh during their performances.

[fred.flintstone]

Just like this piercings that these kids have today with all those metal rings and stuff stuck in their body. Personally, I think they're nuts!

A few weeks ago, I was helping a friend move. Besides myself, he hired a few young guys to help. One of the guys had nipple rings in both nipples. He was setting down a heavy box in the moving truck, when something sticking out of the box got stuck on his nipple ring and literally ripped it off his body. We had to call 911 and get the paramadics who hauled him to the hospital. Thus leaving all the work for us elderly guys to do. All I could say was "what an idiot". I see no point in stuff like that at all...... It's bad enough when accidents happen, so why add to it with stupid crap stuck in a persons body (which is neither useful or attractive).

[HeyBub]

When I encounter a person with piercings, such as a store clerk, I always comment on the item. My comments are usually of the form: "You've got something shiny stuck on your otherwise lovely nose," or "I don't know whether you're aware, but someone evidently has snunk up on you and mutilated your ear!"

[Kurt Ullman]

I still miss the editor of one of the journals in forensic pathology in the 80s and early 90s. He had a fixation with autoerotic death and would make sure that at least one case presentation made it in every quarter.

"The weirder you're going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person." PJ O'Rourke