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Do broken needles bother you guys?
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2020-08-11 at 11:05 PM UTCI have a couple broke off in my arm from years ago and I swear I feel them sometimes.
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2020-08-11 at 11:14 PM UTC
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2020-08-11 at 11:18 PM UTC
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2020-08-11 at 11:26 PM UTC
Originally posted by aldra can't you just pull them out with a magnet or something?
The first one I saw was when I was a student. She had them all along her neck. Hitting those arteries then breaking off because of the instant rush.
The second time I’ve dealt with it I was pretty new out of school. Some guy injected his femoral artery and broke it off because of the rush. The made me put him on a table, and run “live x-ray” (fluoroscopy) while they looked for it. That was totally stupid. Fluoroscopy back then had very low resolution, they were never going to find it.
To answer your question, sorry about that.
No, once a needle is broke off in there they tend to leave them in as long as they won’t affect any vital functions. Same with bullets and shrapnel.The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire! -
2020-08-11 at 11:28 PM UTC
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2020-08-11 at 11:29 PM UTC
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2020-08-11 at 11:30 PM UTCSorry I missed you question Aldra, see edit👍🏻
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2020-08-11 at 11:31 PM UTC
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2020-08-12 at 12:31 AM UTC
Originally posted by Technologist No, once a needle is broke off in there they tend to leave them in as long as they won’t affect any vital functions. Same with bullets and shrapnel.
I get why bullets or shrapnel might be left in, but wouldn't a long piece of metal inside a vein disrupt blood flow and potentially cause more damage if it's flexedThe following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire! -
2020-08-12 at 12:31 AM UTC
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2020-08-12 at 12:40 AM UTC
Originally posted by aldra I get why bullets or shrapnel might be left in, but wouldn't a long piece of metal inside a vein disrupt blood flow and potentially cause more damage if it's flexed
Once it’s in there it’ll embed itself in a vein, artery, or tissue it is in, scar tissue will form and it’ll probably just stay put. If a doc can foresee a problem with it he may take it out, but usually it will do more damage than good. -
2020-08-12 at 12:41 AM UTCJeez I thought you meant seeing them on the streets.
Nah but I bet you junkies all had GREAT MEMORIES tho right? -
2020-08-12 at 12:43 AM UTCI feel like if it happened to me I'd make a mess trying to dig it out myselfThe following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
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2020-08-12 at 12:43 AM UTCNobody in this thread is or has been a junkie except the OP.
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2020-08-12 at 12:45 AM UTC
Originally posted by aldra I feel like if it happened to me I'd make a mess trying to dig it out myself
I could see having the heebie jeebies about it, but like I said, the only ones I’ve seen were on people going for arteries. I’m sure those aren’t the only cases though, that’s for sure. A junkie will do what they have to do to get it in there. -
2020-08-12 at 12:47 AM UTCWhat should I do if I am pretty sure I can feel a dull throbbing?
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2020-08-12 at 12:48 AM UTCSee your doc.
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2020-08-12 at 12:48 AM UTCHey Fona, when you broke them off, were you going for arteries at the time?
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2020-08-12 at 10:48 AM UTCI've gotten lucky the few times they've broken in my arm because there was enough of it sticking out where I could get a hold of it and pull it out. A friend of mine had one for like a year or so in her arm and I guess she forgot about it. She noticed that she scraped this bump of dead skin on something and it looked like a popped cist with just blood coming out. Later that night she saw a piece of the needle and pulled it out. I've never seen anything like that before.
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2020-08-12 at 12:05 PM UTC
Originally posted by Technologist No, once a needle is broke off in there they tend to leave them in as long as they won’t affect any vital functions. Same with bullets and shrapnel.
Might this be because intravenous drug users can rarely afford treatment in the first place, or because of the litigious culture in the US? I know in the UK leaving foreign bodies in a patient is usually a last resort if it would actually be dangerous to remove it.
It's a weird cultural difference for sure.
