Ok, so this isn't my experience, but that of a co-worker.
I just want to say that nobody should EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER have to pick maggots out of parts of another living human being.
It's just wrong. Maggots should not live off of living humans. Want to know where these maggots were found? Within the fat folds of a nearly SEVEN HUNDRED POUND person. Ok, if you're a little overweight, I get it. I, myself, am a little overweight. And, when I notice myself weighing more than I want to weigh, start exercising more control over myself in order to stay within my personal weight requirements.
If you weigh NEARLY SEVEN HUNDRED POUNDS, it's time to rethink your lifestyle. Ok, you came in for abdominal pain. Unfortunately, we just can't diagnose it with the blood work, clinical exam, etc. We're going to need a scan.
Guess what? Normal CT machines can't fit somebody that big. So, you know what we need to do? Nope. Not transfer to another hospital with a larger CT machine. The answer is that we need to transfer you to a popular ANIMAL PARK in order to find a scanner large enough for you. We need a scanner that can accomodate a person the size of a small whale.
WHAT. THE. HELL. IS. WRONG. WITH. PEOPLE???
Ok, I realize I may sound a little insensitive, but COME ON!!!
Some people may call you insensitive, but as a fellow ER nurse I totally get it. I say if you want to weigh 700 lbs and be covered in maggots whatever do what you wish. But don't come to my ER and act offended when I call the fire squad or a quickly organized cross hospital attack team to help me clean you up or move you. You chose to let yourself get to 700 lbs...and I chose to work out so I would stay at 125. I'm not going to injure my back and be out of work because you have gotten so big you can no longer care for yourself. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteWill this Urban Legend ever die?
ReplyDeletehttp://thecrybabyblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/obese-patients-sent-to-zoo-for-ct-scans.html
http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=15497
Sorry to burst your bubble, but this happened. Wish I could give you details of town and specific facility where this went down, but I can't due to HIPAA issues. But this isn't part of the urban legend. My hospital, my town.
DeleteThe person being 700 pounds, yes, the maggots, yes, again... The desire not to injure your back lifting this patient, yes, of course. the zoo sized equipment, sorry it doesn't exist. Really doesn't.
ReplyDeleteIt takes A LOT of time and bad decisions to get to 700 pounds. They should be shamed. Don't worry about looking down on them.
ReplyDeleteohhh mannnn, i'm so morbidly curious now. were the maggots just eating the dead skin or were they getting under the skin?
ReplyDelete