Things you've seen in the O.R that made your teeth crinch?

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The result of an ectopic pregnancy which was a hanful of hair with teeth:eek: So what have you seen?

I've got a couple..

First, we had an add-on double below the knee amputation come in. When I pulled off the sheets to position the guy, he had maggots coming out of the wounds on both legs. Story was a "friend" of his found him sleeping on the floor of his house earlier in the week and wrapped the guy up in a tarp because apparently his electricity was out and he thought he would be cold. Friend came back two days later and the patient was still sleeping in the same place and not very responsive, so he decided to call for help. The surgeon on-call was so disgusted that she wouldn't come into the OR until I had prepped both legs and all maggots were covered with Ioban drapes.

Second would be I was circulating an IM nail on a 16 year old trauma patient. Surgeon ate some dinner quickly before procedure. In the middle of the procedure he starts sweating profusely and asks me to remove his xray lead. As I am doing this, I notice a horrible smell and notice he is having a bit of diarrhea as I'm removing the lead. He bolts out of the OR in the middle of the procedure and leaves for about 10 minutes. Comes back and scrubs back in saying he thinks he has food poisoning. He hurries up, does a poor job and finishes the case. As we're waking the patient up, the surgeon feels sick again and starts vomiting loudly in the trash cans inside the OR. Nastiness!

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I don't work in the OR but when I did my clinicals for school I spent a day in the OR and saw them prep and put this patient under then everyone went to lunch for 30mins, and just left her in the room hooked up to the anesthesia machine with me. I just sat there wondering what was going on. I

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.
I don't work in the OR but when I did my clinicals for school I spent a day in the OR and saw them prep and put this patient under then everyone went to lunch for 30mins, and just left her in the room hooked up to the anesthesia machine with me. I just sat there wondering what was going on. I

Someone mentioned something like this in the "modesty" thread. What the heck???? I just can not imagine this...

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

I was in a case where the patient had put an old fashioned, coiled telephone wire up his urethra. I was aghast! And the worst part: it was the third time he had done it!

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Specializes in OR.

OMG...after reading these posts, Lord help me, I am a new BSN, and I secured a job as an O.R. nurse, I am sure I will see many things...

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A hamster removed from a male's rectum. He said he "sat on it, and it got stuck up there". Sure, ok. :eek: The hamster did not live. Poor thing.

Found a remote control to the television under a large womans breast when we started prepping. When she woke up after surgery she said she had been looking for the remote for weeks. :confused:

AHAHAHAHAHAAAA

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[quote name= Raised up pannus to begin prep and found rotting chicken sandwich and a million maggots. Had to power irrigate the maggots into a crani head bag before the prep!

I'm sorry...WHAT? :barf01:

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When I pulled off the sheets to position the guy, he had maggots coming out of the wounds on both legs. The surgeon on-call was so disgusted that she wouldn't come into the OR until I had prepped both legs and all maggots were covered with Ioban drapes.

Seriously? That surgeon sounds like a baby. I mean, yeah its disgusting but you're a medical professional. Get over it and HELP! Sounds like an uppity...you know what. Way to go on maggot cleanup, champ. :)

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Specializes in OR.
Guy up in yellow fins for a buttock abscess. Don't you looooove those add ons? The cottage cheese pus literally shot about 8 feet when the surgeon started. I had to stand outside the substerile because I was swallowing my own vomit from the smell. Once it was over there was so much chunky pus it looked like a placenta on the ground. Never have been in a case that has made me vomit since.

I will NEVER EAT AGAIN....Blechhhhhhhh:uhoh3::bugeyes::barf02::sstrs:

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Specializes in OR.
I don't work in the OR but when I did my clinicals for school I spent a day in the OR and saw them prep and put this patient under then everyone went to lunch for 30mins, and just left her in the room hooked up to the anesthesia machine with me. I just sat there wondering what was going on. I

UHmmmmm.........WHAT? That is NOT something I have EVER seen...I think that could classify as patient abandonment. You were a student? alone ? in the OR with a patient under anesthesia? and no one else???

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Specializes in LTAC, OR.

Botched abortion at 20 weeks. The placenta and the baby's head were still in the uterus.

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interesting experiences, thanks everyone for sharing them

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