Weirdest/most difficult thing swallowed by a patient

[ixchel]

We're talking about pica in another thread and its left me wondering - what is the weirdest or most impossible thing swallowed by a patient that you have cared for?

(No urban legends, if you don't mind. Hoping for real stories.)

[brillohead, ADN, RN]

During my med-surg rotation in nursing school, I had a patient who was a frequent flier on the floor for repeated bowel obstructions -- a developmentally delayed adult with pica. Some of his past adventures included baby wipes and the foam cushion from his wheelchair (pulled off in delicious bite-size morsels, of course).

[CalNevaMimi, LPN, LVN]

Oh gawd...glad I ate first! You learn not to eat or drink anything while reading this stuff.

[CalNevaMimi, LPN, LVN]

A developmentally delayed patient with a g-tube decided he would suck the contents out of his g-tube like a straw. It was kinda like recycling it, right? ;-)

We have a winner. Eww.

[StyleNurse, BSN, RN]

A patient swallowed two zipper tabs and a paper clip on purpose in order to come to the hospital instead of going to jail.

[Nurse Leigh]

And here I had so much trouble just swallowing PILLS for many years....how on earth do people (physically) swallow some of this stuff?

Many years ago my cat swallowed a sewing needle. That was stressful - and expensive!

[Farawyn]

And here I had so much trouble just swallowing PILLS for many years....how on earth do people (physically) swallow some of this stuff?

Many years ago my cat swallowed a sewing needle. That was stressful - and expensive!

Wait... I may know you. For real I mean!

Is your cat's name Sammy?

[Nurse Leigh]

Wait... I may know you. For real I mean!

Is your cat's name Sammy?

Ha! Nope, it wasn't. Though I think pets must swallow a lot of inedible things too (I saw a show called "My Dog Ate What?" once)

I also learned those Elizabethan collars suck and do not keep determined cats from pulling out stitches.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

200 condoms filled with cocaine

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Thumb tacks

Keys

Paper clips

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

200 condoms filled with cocaine

Did the pt survive?

[gaikoknifenyom]

Haha, we had that recently too but the person swallowed several broken off pieces of the razor, not just the metal blades. Doc said they would just pass through. Couple of us suggested an MRI for a quick extraction.

[Fuzzy]

Some of the things that my patients have eaten include:

underwear;

thumb tacks;

cell phones;

toys;

nails;

string/rope;

socks;

clothes;

poo;

spoons;

garbage;

etc.

Oh, I'm also a Certified Veterinary Technician. Some of our worse foreign bodies have been in ferrets and in large hook bill birds (parrots)

Fuzzy