Weirdest/most difficult thing swallowed by a patient

Nurses General Nursing

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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.)

We used to have a patient that we called Pacman, because he ate everything. At one time our surgeon considered putting a zipper on his abdomen so we could just unzip him and pull stuff out. I think the weirdest thing he swallowed, other than all his neighbors panties off the laundry line, was all the Christmas ornaments off our units tree. We wondered what he was crunching on, then looked over at the tree ..... uh oh.

Cheers

Oh, my goodness... Laughed so hard I was crying! :roflmao:

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

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).

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
The head of a brand new Littman Cardiology II stethescope.

hehe, good way to hear bowel sounds.

but oh crap. That's too bad.

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Specializes in DD, PD/Agency Peds, School Sites.

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

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Specializes in DD, PD/Agency Peds, School Sites.
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.

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

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Specializes in Telemetry.

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!

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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?

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Specializes in Telemetry.
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.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

200 condoms filled with cocaine

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Thumb tacks

Keys

Paper clips

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200 condoms filled with cocaine

Did the pt survive?

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