Man shoots nail into brain without noticing

As we always seem to get these storeis here somehow, thought I'd get this one posted. :-)

21 January 2012 Last updated at 04:12

Man shoots nail into brain without noticing

A suburban Chicago man accidentally shot a 3.25in (8.25cm) nail into his skull but is recovering after doctors successfully removed it from the centre of his brain.

Dante Autullo, 34, was in his workshop when a nail gun recoiled near his head.

But he had no idea the nail had entered his brain until the next day, when he began feeling nauseous.

Doctors told Mr Autullo that the nail came within millimetres of the area used for motor function.

His fiancee, Gail Glaenzer, told the Associated Press on Friday that he was in good spirits after the two-hour surgery to remove the nail at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Sensor triggered

"He feels good. He moved all his limbs, he's talking normal, he remembers everything," she said. "It's amazing, a miracle."

Ms Glaenzer said she had no idea the nail had entered his skull when she cleaned a cut on his forehead.

She convinced him to go to the hospital after he felt nauseous for much of Wednesday.

Mr Autullo thought that the nail gun had simply hit his forehead, but realised later that when the gun came in contact with his head, the sensor recognised a flat surface and fired.

While there are pain-sensitive nerves on a person's skull, there are none within the brain itself.

Hospital spokesman Mike Maggio said the part of the skull that was removed for surgery had to be replaced with a titanium mesh amid worries that it might have been contaminated by the nail.

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Reply to
polygonum
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Oh dear, well its not the first time something like this has been reported of course. Does this mean then that some of his brain was dead already?

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

So that's the origin of the teletubbies?

Reply to
polygonum

Interesting that the point of the nail is forwards, implying that it rotated. I wonder what the bits of brain that it swept through were for?

Reply to
Jon Fairbairn

I am seriously wondering what chaotic conditions his workshop was in.

He had left a loaded, powered (maybe air) nail gun *in bump mode* lying about, and then somehow managed to press it against his head so hard to operate the safety interlock???

I wonder if that's really the true story.

Or if it's like "penile injuries from vacuum cleaners".

Reply to
dom

I thought that, but another report says that it went in to one side (temple area) so there may not have been as much rotation.

On the other hand, given the circumstances of the accident, there must be a lot of free air in there.

Reply to
Bob Eager

seeing as how it happened in the States, I hope he has good medical cover.

Phian

Reply to
Phian

Just one nail? That's nothing. Try six nails!:

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Reply to
Matty F

Probably a bright spark.

Reply to
grimly4

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