As was requested, here are some x-rays I've gathered together over the years showing the results of nail gun accidents. All of these are real x-rays. These are posted as reminders that we all need to be careful out there; whether actually using them, working near them, or just passing by. These 8 people were lucky enough to survive their accidents, many with little residual side effects.
Be well (and safe),
Doc
Here are the accompanying stories (edited to shorten post):
1: A 58-year-old carpenter was working while a colleague working above him fired nails into a board. The board broke, accidentally propelling a galvanized nail into the patient's skull. He presented without any evidence of brain damage. The nail was removed and he remains well with no ill effects.
2: A nail gun blasted a 3-inch nail right through the top of his head, piercing his brain from one side to the other. In a delicate, hour-long operation, doctors were able to remove the nail. To their amazement, no evidence of brain damage was found. The victim is expected to return to work within a week.
3: A 30 year-old construction worker was working when a nail from the nail gun he was using ricocheted off a slab of concrete and lodged itself in his brain. The worker remained conscious, and amazingly in little pain, during the transit to the hospital. Once there surgeons took 2 hours to remove the nail. Post operatively he showed no deficits and had an excellent prognosis for full recovery.
4: A 31 year-old construction worker underwent emergency surgery to remove a 3 inch nail from his right wrist. The worker was nailing a joist above his head, holding it with his right hand, when the nail gun slipped firing the nail into his wrist, below his thumb. The tip of the nail was visible just under the skin surface while the head protruded out the other side. The nail immobilzed his wrist by fusing 3 bones together. Surgeons were able to remove the nail and suspect full recovery.
5: A 27 year-old man inadvertently discharged a nail gun into the thumb of his left hand. The nail traversed the thumb. Movement of the joint was present but limited. Radiographs revealed that the retained nail was above the bone with no evidence of an associated fracture.
6: A 23 year-old worker was shot with a nail when the nail gun his father was using accidentally discharged, shooting a three and a half inch nail into his left femur. When the paramedics arrived at the scene, they found him conscious and alert though unable to bend his leg. The Fire Chief said they were able to stabilize his leg and transported him to a Boston-area hospital where surgeons removed the nail during a 3 hour operation. His recovery is expected to take some time.
7: A 25 year-old man presented to the emergency room with a nail penetrating through his left foot and shoe. X-ray revealed the nail passing through the soft tissue of the left great toe. No boney involvement was noted. The nail was removed under general anasthesia in the operating room. He has made a full recovery.
8: A 41 year-old man pinned four of his toes together on his left foot during a nail gun accident. The man was framing holding the board down with his left foot, he attempted to fire a nail into the board using a "bump and fire" technique. He missed the board and fired the nail into his foot. Due to the force of the gun firing, it bounced off his boot then struck his foot again, firing a second nail into his foot. Both nails went through his boot. He was able to remove his boot and noted the heads of the two 4-inch long nails.
And now...the X-rays...
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Originally Posted by Charles McKinley
Oh and Chuck, this isn't directed at you, I just found your comment convenient to tag on to.
