pica

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I had a pt. last night who is a frequent flyer and has a habit of eating razor blades, nails,paper clips etc. last night he almost died due to a severe gastro intestinal bleed. I admitted the patient, and got him in the icu and also ordered a psych consult. but he`s in the er every 3 days for swallowing some type of foreign body. Its people like him that p--- me off. Sorry had to vent.

Don ,ARNP,RN

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

DO they have a psyh diagnosis...I mean of course they do. We used to get prisoners who would do this to gt out of jail.

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It does not make sense to me why someone would want to eat metal and risk killing themselves, they are at risk for infection and much more.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
It does not make sense to me why someone would want to eat metal and risk killing themselves, they are at risk for infection and much more.
Have you not heard of PICA?

[h=3]Pica - Emedicine Medscape[/h]

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Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.
It does not make sense to me why someone would want to eat metal and risk killing themselves, they are at risk for infection and much more.
I'm kind of thinking they probably don't "want" to eat metal.....
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Specializes in ER.

I'll confess, I watched a few episodes of 'My Strange Addiction'. One show featured a young woman eating toilet paper. Another gal loved Comet cleanser. Unbelievable! Some folks are just, well, nuts (mentally ill)!

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I myself have seen that show and to post #3 I am well of aware of pica and it is a eating disorder. It is crazy some of the stuff people eat. I agree they are nuts.

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Specializes in Emergency.

We have one pt we see semi frequently for pica related issues who once ate the soft restraints. I did not see that coming although maybe i should have.

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wow lol the patient ate the soft restraints wow. I have never heard that one before

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Restraints? One to look out for.. hehe

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

We have one patient who frequently comes in putting various objects into his butt...

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Specializes in LTC.

We had one that had eaten batteries--AA, I think and once a watch....of course the surgeon had to joke it was a Timex and it was still ticking when he retrieved it.

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