Many years ago a couple of guys I knew were drunk and decided they would armwrestle. One of them really started to lean his weight into it and then SNAP ! AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH ! Broken arm! After a ride to the hospital from the only sober person home the guy with the broken arm ended up with a pin in his arm. He had been drinking and I was told they didn’t give him any anesthetic. So my two part poll is.
They must have at least given him a local anesthetic not just a bullet to bite on right? [sub]Kind of a general question here I know.[/sub]
Do you know anyone that has had this happen to them?
Hi Opal ! ( I can’t resist a running gag. )
I’m hoping Qadgop the Mercotan or Dr_Paprika can also shed some light on why a pin would be needed and why no anesthetic would be given if indeed he was given nothing. So a bit of a general question there as well. The break occured somewhere between his elbow and shoulder. He also ended up with the nastiest scar I’ve ever seen.
Just a guess, but maybe they didn’t give him anesthetic because he was drunk? I know you’re not supposed to mix alcohol and sleeping pills so why would you mix alcohol and anesthetic?
If they had to do an open reduction and internal fixation (with hardware placement into the bone), be assured they must have used an anesthetic, probably a general. I don’t know any surgeons willing to do that type of operation with the patient awake and feeling everything. A regional block, rendering the limb insensate is also a (lesser) possibility. So I doubt you really got the straight dope about what went on. If they just had to pop on a splint or cast, an anesthetic wouldn’t be called for.
It’s certainly preferable to have the patient drug-free prior to anesthesia, and elective operations are often cancelled if the patient shows up for them under the influence, but emergency procedures can and often are done on anesthetized intoxicated individuals
Thanks Qadgop. I guess he was trying to be macho after having his arm broken or something. He did indeed have surgery on it though.
Now that the general question part has been answered does anyone know somebody that had their arm broken in an armwrestling match? Or has my leg been pulled on that part of the story as well?
Well then I guess that makes you two for two. I suppose this could then be moved to GQ and closed even. Unless some more people have tales of drunken bone breaking.
How drunk? If he’s gone enough he’d hardly need anaesthetic, maybe? Though obviously if he’s at a ‘pretty lucid’ stage, he would, and if he’s at a ‘fighting everything in sight’ stage he definately would.