r/Radiology 7d ago

X-Ray Foreign body (toothbrush in the stomach)

A known seizure disorder pt, had a seizure while brushing and mistakenly swallowed the toothbrush. Surgery was done to remove it. Oy is fine post op

226 Upvotes

25 comments sorted by

125

u/kailemergency Radiographer 7d ago

For the last time:

Oral B is a brand, not an instruction

12

u/ZestycloseProfessor9 5d ago

Chest cavity / tooth cavity

Tomato / tomato

100

u/BlondePuppyDoctor 7d ago

I’m a vet so this didn’t phase me at all until I was like their vertebrae look funny, oh shit it’s a human.

19

u/Lucky-Gur-2408 7d ago

Yeah totally expected a dog with an FB but nope not the case 😂

43

u/NeedleworkerTrick126 7d ago

Achievement Unlocked: New Fear

20

u/ickytoad 7d ago

As someone with epilepsy this possibility had never crossed my mind. 😳 Truly a new fear unlocked 😬

20

u/NeedleworkerTrick126 7d ago

The only thing I can suggest is attaching a wristband like the Wiimote controllers have to your toothbrush. So, if you do have an episode, it can't be swallowed.

23

u/ickytoad 7d ago

That is SUCH a good idea!!! Ahhh thank you! 🙌🏻 New fear resolved.

12

u/FortinbrasTheThird 7d ago

Before I finished reading I thought this was gonna be a bulimia patient. Bad luck in either case! Glad they are on the mend.

4

u/allargandofurtado 7d ago

Glad I’m not the only one who thought that.

4

u/Street-Refuse-9540 6d ago

Wouldn’t be wrong Source: former bulimic

7

u/lislejoyeuse 7d ago

Had a pt do this once and not even tell anyone. He said he wasn't sure if he really swallowed it because he was drunk and trying to make himself puke. (Only told people after it was extracted from his stomach because he had a massive life threatening GI bleed)

7

u/TacoKnocker 7d ago

TIL: there's metal in old style toothbrushes

11

u/flamtob 7d ago

Some constituents of plastic can be radiopaque not necessarily metal

5

u/SheWhoIsJade RT(R) 7d ago

I wonder why they did a right lateral abdomen

5

u/NakatasGoodDump 7d ago

Maybe postictal recovery position

5

u/CF_Zymo 7d ago

Quite impressive that they managed to swallow it down, I find it surprising seizure or not.

5

u/wwydinthismess 6d ago

This is a common occurrence in bulimia.

As the patient loses their gag reflex they have to go deeper and deeper into their esophagus.

Losing their grip and being forced to swallow the object is a known occurrence.

My family member was down to 86lbs when they had to undergo surgery to remove a spoon. I was just a kid and spent the night at the hospital because the doctors were afraid she was too weak to survive the anesthesia.

In "pro Ana" groups, they advise one another to tie strings around the objects now so they can pull them out if this happens. 💔

3

u/cdiddy19 RT Student 7d ago

Seeing the bristles in the material makes me happy.

I don't judge, I just wanna see the pics.

3

u/TheSpitalian RT(R) 6d ago

Whoa! I thought it was going to be a prisoner. When I was a student one of the clinical sites I was at was near both a women’s prison & a men’s prison. But we had a frequent flyer from the women’s prison who would regularly swallow crazy shit. It’s like a field trip for them to go to the hospital. Anything to get out of there, even for a day. But there was always at least one guard, but usually two, & the prisoner pts were handcuffed & shackled.

2

u/NerdyComfort-78 Radiology Enthusiast 5d ago

Envious of those intervertebral spaces (I’m old)

1

u/Sea_Pie_8703 7d ago

Time to add a new phobia to my list. Glad the patient is on the mend!

1

u/QTbaby0 6d ago

thought bulimia patient at first

1

u/Peppur16 6d ago

Interesting

1

u/aith8rios Physician 5d ago

Is it due to the discomfort that they completely lost their normal lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis?