# Broken bone resulting in bone marrow in bloodstream resulting in erratic behavior? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932 "2010-06-29T15:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/1 "2010-06-29T15:01:38Z")
Sorry for the longish title. I was thinking about the movie Witches of Eastwick where the character Felicia breaks her leg. She starts saying bizarre, paranoid things and the doctors explain it away by saying that it’s because the bone marrow has entered the bloodstream and gone to the brain and she’s going to say and do bizarre things but not to worry. In the film it’s probably not because of that explanation but I was curious as to whether that was a real one–can a broken bone result in what the (fictional) doctor was saying? ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/2 "2010-06-29T15:10:14Z")
Long bone fracture can result in fat emboli which, even in the absence of right-left shunts, can make their way to the left-sided circulation and get to the brain. Manifestations of fat emboli to the brain can include confusion and/or stroke symptoms, both temporary and permanent. Depending on which part of the brain is involved, a patient might seem a little wacky. Actual paranoia would be unusual. Fat emboli to the lungs might cause significant hypoxia and dyspnea, which can present as severe anxiety and a sense of impending doom, and might also result in some nutty behaviour, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/3 "2010-06-29T15:10:38Z")
[Fat embolism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_embolism) ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/4 "2010-06-29T15:19:59Z")
Dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/5 "2010-06-29T17:40:00Z")
Thanks, guys. Sounds creepy! ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/6 "2010-06-29T17:40:43Z")
And a related question, I think i remember seeing an issue like this in House M.D. The patient had a broken toe that was leaching calcium into the blood stream. Does anything like that ever happen? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/7 "2010-06-29T17:42:53Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > And a related question, I think i remember seeing an issue like this in House M.D. The patient had a broken toe that was leaching calcium into the blood stream. Does anything like that ever happen? After I broke my femur, I was looking through my bill and one of the drugs I was given in the ER was to reduce calcium in the blood. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/8 "2010-06-29T18:59:35Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > After I broke my femur, I was looking through my bill and one of the drugs I was given in the ER was to reduce calcium in the blood. Can you tell me which drug, I’ve been in ER 10 years, and never heard of that ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/9 "2010-06-29T21:22:46Z")
Finny, no! ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/10 "2010-06-29T23:26:19Z")
Isn’t that part of the plot of “A Separate Peace”? One of the boys has multiple fractures to his leg, with no other ill effects than it takes a long time to heal. Then at the end he re-breaks it with a simple fracture but the bone marrow gets into his blood stream and kills him. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/11 "2010-06-30T02:46:29Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Isn’t that part of the plot of “A Separate Peace”? One of the boys… Finny! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/12 "2010-06-30T10:38:25Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Can you tell me which drug, I’ve been in ER 10 years, and never heard of that Probably one of the [bisphosphonate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphosphonate) class of drugs, such as are listed in the linked Wiki piece (e.g. pamidronate, etidronate, etc.). Although not terribly common, elevated blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia) can occur as a result of someone being immobilized, especially in the setting of high turnover of bone (i.e. when lots of old bone is being resorbed and new bone is being formed) such as occurs with fractures or in [Paget’s Disease](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paget%27s_disease_of_bone). The usual diagnostic term is ‘immobilization hypercalcemia’ if you wanted to search for more information on it. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/13 "2010-06-30T10:55:11Z")
> [@outlierrn](#): > > Can you tell me which drug, I’ve been in ER 10 years, and never heard of that > [@KarlGauss](#): > > Probably one of the [bisphosphonate](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphosphonate) class of drugs, such as are listed in the linked Wiki piece (e.g. pamidronate, etidronate, etc.). > > Although not terribly common, elevated blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia) can occur as a result of someone being immobilized, especially in the setting of high turnover of bone (i.e. when lots of old bone is being resorbed and new bone is being formed) such as occurs with fractures or in [Paget’s Disease](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paget%27s_disease_of_bone). The usual diagnostic term is ‘immobilization hypercalcemia’ if you wanted to search for more information on it. I’ve been trying to find the hospital bill that had it listed but no luck. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Philosopher)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/14 "2010-06-30T13:20:44Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > And a related question, I think i remember seeing an issue like this in House M.D. The patient had a broken toe that was leaching calcium into the blood stream. Does anything like that ever happen? It’s the episode “[Frozen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_%28House%29)” from the 4th season. [This](http://www.politedissent.com/archives/1896) medical review says that while the medicine was generally OK, it is usually only bones like the femur that can cause this kind of fat emboli when they fracture. Toe bones aren’t long enough. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/15 "2010-06-30T19:20:38Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > I’ve been trying to find the hospital bill that had it listed but no luck. Well, don’t stress yourself, I was just curious as I’ve never seen that done, at least in my ER. I’ve treated hypercalcemia in bone cancer cases before, but I haven’t worked on an orthopedic floor where this maybe more common. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/16 "2010-06-30T19:28:43Z")
It was a drug usually used in cancer treatment. I was looking through the bill just after I came home and what caught my eye was the very high cost for a single dose so I looked it up out of curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-bone-resulting-in-bone-marrow-in-bloodstream-resulting-in-erratic-behavior/544932/17 "2010-07-01T13:06:10Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > After I broke my femur, I was looking through my bill and one of the drugs I was given in the ER was to reduce calcium in the blood. Could it have been [Aredia](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/DRUG+FOUND+TO+LESSEN+RAVAGES+OF+BONE+CANCER%5CCalcium-reducing...-a083919655)? It is used to reduce calcium levels (and for pain control) in myeloma/certain-cancer patients, and likely has other ‘indications’ afaik. Maybe that medicine have been a calcium _channel blocker_, per se?