He Bit What Off???

I just started a my new job in Anatomic Pathology at my current hospital. I was there maybe 2 weeks, new supervisor just learning the way things are done.

Evidently, before I arrived, the pathology department was willing to release specimens back to patients once the report was finalized. A HUGE no no since they have formalin and patients rarely know how to properly dispose of these tissues.

I was in the gross room when a thumb arrived “fresh” for pathology that an inmate from an local prison bit off himself.

Literally put his own thumb in his mouth and bit it off. That was a first for me. The gentleman had refused it to be reattached so it was submitted.

I called the ED to make sure they didn’t want any special studies since they did send it fresh. They said no, it’s for pathology. So, it was dissected, tissue submitted, and in goes the formalin to preserve.

Seven hours later….seven….I got a call at home from the ED nurse manager about the thumb…the patient insisted the guards bring back to have the thumb reattached because he “missed it”.

I told the nurse that it had already been dissected and in formalin…she then asked me “cant you sew the skin together and rinse it off”?

I asked if she was serious…..she was…a nurse…an actual nurse wanted me to remove the thumb, which had been separated from any blood supply for 7 hours, from formalin and rinse it off to be reattached.

Submitted by:
Bernadette Morris
Laboratory Director/Manager
New Jersey, USA