# Finally had one of those calls...



## simpatico (Jun 6, 2009)

That you just have to share.

Responded to a MVA, sedan t-boned by a pickup in a residential area.  5 patients, 4 out and about, appear to be fine, 5th patient is pinned in the sedan.

Now, when I say t-boned, I mean realllllllly t-boned.  The right side of the car was at least 1 and 1/2 foot impacted.

Fire department was on scene before we were and told us on scene that they just stablized an impaled object in the 5th patient's head and will need to extracate them with the jaws of life.  I figured it was glass or something, I could not see the patient too well until they removed the side of the car...

So, once the FD was done, we were preparing them for spine board and the object became clear enough to realize it was metallic.  An identical object was spotted on the seat next to them and, upon further inspection, it became clear that it was actually the patient's earring.  Seriously.  Their EARRING, apparently flipped up just before their head hit the dash and pierced their skull!  Imagine a huge hoop earring that is a tube of super thick metal.  Ugly as hell.

When we got to the hospital the trauma crew was actually waiting for us for a change and immediately evaluated the patient.  While waiting on paperwork we got to see the xray and, man oh man did that thing lodge itself in there.  It pierced the skin, the skull, and lodged what looked to be maybe as much as 5mm into the patient's brain behind the right temple.

And there it is.  Finally a story to share.  An earring!  I can't get over that.  Talk about bad luck.

OH, yeah, this is important too, the patient was fine and, from what I know, survived without sensory or nerve damage.  They were fine the whole way over, complained of a slight headache... Heh.


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## Tincanfireman (Jun 7, 2009)

I'm waiting patiently for the first time I get a patient who wears half a hardware store in their face and meets an airbag going the other way (or worse, no airbag and no seatbelt).  I'll share the story, promise...


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