Medical things you didn’t know?

[Emptychairdoasolo]

Just watching a medical drama and wondered what happens if you die on the operating table? Do they just sew you back up without repairing anything inside?

but also had me thinking what other medical things didn’t you know until you maybe experienced them or learned?

Hearts a muscle so you can get a sarcoma which is cancer or a metastasis to the heart too.

Or elbows. The elbow joint isn't fully formed until about 14

When I was student nurse a mantra we were taught was ‘never ignore the call to stool’. ie don’t hold a poo in as it can cause constipation.

Not true. I have done a death certificate for someone whose heart is still beating. This is in people declared brain dead by testing. I found it most confronting

You can, extremely rare but possible.

It’s exactly the reason. I might not hold religious or spiritual views, but many of the patients I have nursed, or their loved ones will.

You can be brain stem dead and still heart beating. This is the most common form organ donor and known as heart beating donor

Hearts a muscle so you can get a sarcoma which is cancer or a metastasis to the heart too.

Fair enough, but heart cells don't regenerate so there wouldn't be primary solid tumours would there?

Place marking because I just love these threads

Oh really? 15 years of nursing and I didn't know that! I thought they wouldn't declare death until the heart stops.

I knew about that but didn't realise that the person would be declared dead and a death certificate done, before the heart beating donation takes place!

You can get a cancer of the wall of the heart which is a primary solid mass. Kidneys don't regenerate but can still get cancer.

@Spidey66 clearly knows more than all the nurses on here (including me) who have cared for those recently passed 🙄

People don't smell the hour after death fgs

You don't breathe through both nostrils at the same time.

If someone has undergone brainstem death testing and meet the criteria (which are very strict) then they can be declared legally dead even if the heart is still beating. This has to be done by two doctors, at least one a consultant and the other with I think at least 6 years experience, so it's more complicated than just getting the on call F1 to come and "certify." I've done both!

On 99% of circumstances yes. This is basically for people ventilated in ICU who have had a catastrophic brain event that has led to brain death. Some will go on to organ donation. They are as well looked after (if not better!) than anyone else in the places if have worked until the family can have their time and the ventilator is switched off . It must be very hard for families

Many care staff do this too/ it's absolutely for the soul.

Renal cells can regenerate- they just don’t do it much unless provoked by injury.

One of the main symptoms of serious traumatic injury to the liver can be acute pain in the right shoulder blade!

In my DD's case, intense shoulder pain was the only symptom when she sustained life-threatening lacerations to her liver and internal bleeding in an accident. Thank god for the incredible A&E doctor on duty that evening who recognised the symptom and saved her life.

It only takes one asbestos fibre in the lung to create mesothelioma (a terminal type of lung cancer) many years later.

I've been a nurse for 40 years. I've never seen anyone open a window when a person dies.

My Dentist did kneel on the arm of the chair and pull with both hands while extracting a rather stubborn tooth!

Mine is a bit boring in comparison, but I only learned yesterday that the HPV vaccine goes into the muscle that is right at the top of the arm. I put emla cream on too low down, so it was no use at all when the young person I was supporting had her jab.

@SockQueen are you an anaesthetist? I wonder whether I might be able to PM you?

I am, but I'm afraid I can't give medical advice over the internet, sorry!