Carpenter Shoots Himself in the Neck with Nail Gun

According to Boston News , in early December 2011, a carpenter accidentally discharged a nail gun and embedded a 3.5 inch nail in the bottom of his neck. Based on the CT scan included here, it appears the nail entered the neck dead center given the clear appearance of the windpipe. Based on the location, the anatomic sequence of nail piercing is as follows: Skin --> Thyroid Gland --> Trachea --> Esophagus Back Wall --> Cervical Vertebral Body The damage to skin, thyroid, and…

12/18/2011 0

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A Crime For Doctors to Ask About Guns?

When I saw this report on ABC about a Florida politician wanting to make it a crime if a physician asks about guns in the home or else face 5 years in jail and up to $5 million fine, I could not believe it. Who cares that more children die of accidents than of diseases. It is standard practice for pediatricians to provide guidance on a variety of unintentional injury-prevention counseling for infants, preschool-aged children, school-aged children, and adolescents as well as their parents…

1/30/2011 1

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Machine Gun Sneezing

ABC News on November 11, 2009 aired a story about a 12 year old girl with an unfortunate condition called " machine gun sneezing ". Apparently, she sneezes up to 16 times a minute all day except while sleeping and started after recovering from a mild cold. To be frank, it's a condition I've never seen before. Per an allergist interviewed for this story, the condition is extremely rare and "can be triggered by hundreds of causes, including allergies , sinus problems …

11/13/2009 0

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