Symbol Recognition
Wednesday, November 24th, 2004 at 2:23 pm
What do you think that icon on the electrically powered cheese grater to the right stands for? Ok, I won't keep you wondering- evidently it stands for do not put your hand into this feed chute, especially when the grater is still turned on. My only patient on last night's EMS shift failed to recognize this obviously ambiguous symbol.
He earned himself a trip to the regional trauma center for his efforts. Digits 1, 2, and 5 were mostly unaffected, save a small superficial laceration (cut.) Digits 3 and 4 (middle and ring fingers) got the brunt of the rotating studded metal drum, and the soft tissue (skin, fat, muscles, tendons, blood vessels, etc) were for lack of a better word, mushed. The bones looked to be intact and not fractured. Amazingly distal PMS (no not what you think - stands for Pulse, Motor, Sensation… More politically correct is CMS, but that wouldn't be any fun, would it? 
) was all intact with minimal defecit. Bleeding was controlled by a gauze pressure dressing and elevation. Hopefully the local hand specialists were able to take care of it, and he didn't have to go down to the state hand center for microsurgery.
Email to Friend
Print
Permalink
Filed under: 
Just surfing by with BlogExplosion, when I saw this post. Wow! Sounds like this guy was really lucky. As a law student, I’m sure this is one of those happy few individuals who cause things like… labels on coffee cups that say “warning: contents may be hot”, or instructions on shampoo bottles.