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A 44-year-old man went to the hospital after pus began oozing from his chest, where doctors discovered a knife that had been embedded in his body for eight years. According to the report, he showed n… (lemmy.today)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/interestingasfuck@lemmy.world
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Full title: A 44-year-old man went to the hospital after pus began oozing from his chest, where doctors discovered a knife that had been embedded in his body for eight years. According to the report, he showed no signs of chest pain, breathing problems, coughing, or fever, and was otherwise in good health.

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[–] 83 points 3 months ago (17 children)

Lucky they didn't go straight for the MRI

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  • [–] 42 points 3 months ago (10 children)

    I have worked so much with lathes and milling machines, that I fear having to have an MRI.

    I bet I'm full of small bits of sharp metal. In fact, I have a macro photo of my finger full of tiny needles.

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  • [–] 57 points 3 months ago* (7 children)

    If you get scheduled for an MRI they will specifically ask if you have worked as a machinist. If you answer yes, they make you go to a location that can take x-rays before letting you in the MRI machine.

    At least, that's what happened when I had to schedule an MRI.

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  • [–] 25 points 3 months ago (6 children)

    I don’t want to argue, but that’s not universally true at all.

    I have had many MRI procedures over the years, at almost as many individual locations and in multiple countries. This was never a question.

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  • [–] 21 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    I was asked. There was a 10 minute phone interview to ask all the ways I might have metal in me. The tech was apologetic and said they have to ask individually because people forget or don’t know things can put them at risk.

    Permanent makeup and micro bladed brows, for instance won’t rip out of your body but older inks with iron in will heat up and burn your skin.

    I’m in California, if that matters.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 months ago* (1 child)

    I wonder if this rather specific question about being a machinist is particularly a US phenomenon.

    I’ve only ever been asked if I have the typicals. “Any metallic items on or in your body such as piercings, jewelry, surgical implants?”

    The questions never pertained to occupation, let alone being a machinist or involved with metalwork.

    Perhaps the question is geared to cover as many bases as possible to reduce the legal attack surface for a malpractice lawsuit. The US is a notoriously litigant landscape when it comes to personal injury.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago*

    They asked me of I had welded or done metalwork. I had my head X-ray to make sure there wasn’t any metal in my eyes.

    I’ve had metal in them before so it ease worth checking and they definitely asked first.

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  • [–] 19 points 3 months ago (5 children)

    why don't they have metal detectors on the doors leading to the MRI?

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

    Possibly because a standard magnetometer cannot detect reactive elements down to the level that would be affected by a giant insane field associated with an MRI?

    A simple xray, or a pass-through of a single metal detector at a court house is one thing….

    …but Imagine a tattoo with ferrous ink. In a simple airport magnetometer, it’s no thing. In an MRI it’s ripped out of flesh.

    Basically tattooing itself can be a very wild scenario. I caught artists in Tunisia making do and had a friend shooting cats in Cuba as we provided ink.

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    • [–] 35 points 3 months ago (11 children)

    Could you imagine being the person who stabbed him and just watching him walk away and not even react?

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  • [–] 62 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (8 children)

    They were so intrigued by the experience of cutting into someone and seeing them live through the event that they turned away from a life of crime and went to school to become a surgeon. Now, 8 years later, a familiar face shows up in the waiting room...

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  • [–] 16 points 3 months ago (7 children)

    Dibs on the movie rights

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  • [–] 12 points 3 months ago (6 children)

    Just give me a cut.

    Hang on, I should rephrase that.

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  • [–] 12 points 3 months ago (5 children)

    Yeah, you should take another stab at it.

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  • [–] 22 points 3 months ago (3 children)

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    • [–] 30 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 child)

    I'm gonna guess alcohol was involved in the initial event.

    Also, imagine being the radiologist and seeing that pop up on the screen. I'm imagining the doctor in Death Becomes Her, although that reference might be too old for many of you.

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    • [–] 8 points 3 months ago

    Wow, is there an article to read more about this? This is insane!

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    [–] 8 points 3 months ago (8 children)

    Where's the article?

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  • [–] 18 points 3 months ago (7 children)

    Link to article in spoiler. This is your warning, graphic images are embedded in the paper (wound with draining pus and photos from surgery).
    Kivuyo, Nashivai et al. "An eight-year asymptomatic retention of a knife blade in the chest: a case report", Journal of surgical case reports vol. 2025,6 rjaf325. 31 May. 2025, doi:10.1093/jscr/rjaf325

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  • [–] 9 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    The CT scan and its reconstruction are wild.

    From the surgery image, which I won't repost, I wonder if the handle broke off before/during the attack, or if it was broken down in the thoracic cavity?

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (3 children)

    Must have been a fall no? I don't know how someone could push a knife that deep without firmly gripping the handle. And if your hand is on the handle it's a natural stop.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    The article says a stabbing. I struggle to imagine it too, but maybe a fall while it was still protruding, like you say.

    A 44-year-old male, otherwise healthy, presented with a right chest wall sinus discharging pus, 8 years after sustaining multiple stab wounds treated with primary first aid only.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    Yeah, that sums up my question. Sliced, then stabbed and then a fall, or a cheap knife handle that let go once the attacker tried to pull it out.

    The lack of imaging, even an x-ray is surprising, but I don't live in Tazmania so I don't know their level of access to such things. Or how willing the patient would have been to sit still for it.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago

    The paper identifies availability of imaging tech and trained personnel as one of the issues in its discussion section.

    The current case report underscores the significant challenges in trauma care within resource-limited settings, where access to basic imaging and surgical expertise is limited.
    [...]
    In areas with limited resources, patients should be promptly referred to higher-level healthcare facilities capable of providing comprehensive diagnostic and surgical care.

    I just keep thinking about what would happen if they fell on somebody or got into one of those awful "crowd crush" situations. Wouldn't take long for medical personnel to figure it out (at least in broad strokes) but I'm picturing a phantom stabbing mystery where they just find his body with a protruding blade that finally worked itself loose and finished the job from nearly a decade prior. Either that or the pointy bit is forced out the front and gets somebody else.

    I wonder if whoever owns the rights to the Final Destination movies takes suggestions.

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    • [–] 8 points 3 months ago

    That was a wild read. I audibly chuckled when they put forward a reference after stating that getting stabbed in the chest can lead to death

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    [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    Incredible! Had to see it to believe it.

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