what is "grey matter"

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I was reading a prior post that asked how you nurses ever got used to the smells, vomit, feces etc., that come along with the job. One response said that they are pretty much use to everything, but the one thing that still gets them grossed out is "grey matter". What is that?

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Brain tissue.

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oooohh, goodness. you know I thought that's what it was, but i really wasn't sure. Thank you.

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Specializes in neuro, ICU/CCU, tropical medicine.

A neurosurgeon I know told me a story that happened at a hospital where we had both had the misfortune of working.

At the time, there are no CT scanner in house, so they used a mobile CT that was behind the hospital. He took a patient with a gunshot wound to the head for a CT. As he was travelling with the patient across the parking lot, with the patient's family watching, he herniated - through the entrance wound. Part of the brain tissue fell on the ground and a couple of dogs picked it up and ran off with it, with the patient's family chasing them to get it back.

He told me that the incident ended up in the local paper: "Neurosurgeon feeds patient's brain to dogs!"

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Specializes in Operating Room.

LMAO! No way!!

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Specializes in ICU, OR.
A neurosurgeon I know told me a story that happened at a hospital where we had both had the misfortune of working.

At the time, there are no CT scanner in house, so they used a mobile CT that was behind the hospital. He took a patient with a gunshot wound to the head for a CT. As he was travelling with the patient across the parking lot, with the patient's family watching, he herniated - through the entrance wound. Part of the brain tissue fell on the ground and a couple of dogs picked it up and ran off with it, with the patient's family chasing them to get it back.

He told me that the incident ended up in the local paper: "Neurosurgeon feeds patient's brain to dogs!"

Leave it to the media to report fairly and accurately!:uhoh3:

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That poor doctor!! That poor patient? Did the family catch up with the pooches?

But it is interesting, on placement I was sent out with a nurse manager for the mental health services, what he told me (and showed me in documented evidence) was a lot different to what the media peddled in the papers when a few antics took place.

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Specializes in neuro, ICU/CCU, tropical medicine.
That poor doctor!!

Yeah, he told me that he got chewed out by the senior resident who told him the next time it happened he had to chase the dogs to get the brain tissue back.

For what purpose, I don't know.

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Oh my GOD!!!!!!! This is disgusting but how come I am still laughing. Oh yeah I have been a nurse for 27 years. wasn't what was left of the pt more important than what the dogs ran off with? Still laughing

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As if they were going to put the part of the brain the dogs ran off with back in??? Don't think so. What purpose is served by running after the dogs?

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