A Nail in the Heart
We’ve learned about pencils, combs, and knives in the heart. Now we’ve got a nail in the heart.
Seventeen-year-old Matt Dexter was helping to construct a barn when he accidentally triggered a nail gun that was being lowered down the ladder to him. Matt was shot in the chest with a three and a quarter inch nail that punctured the right ventricle of his heart.
I dropped the gun and looked down and I could see the head of the nail stuck on the outside of my shirt. I wanted to take it out, but I was scared and didn’t know what to think really.
Fortunately, he left the nail in which served to seal the injury and prevent major blood loss. Matt took only a few days to recover and is awaiting the birth of his twins. Let’s keep the nail guns away from babies and dad!
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Tags: accident, freak accident, heart, heart disease, nail, matt dexter, diseases, illness, health
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POSTED IN: Weird Heart Injuries
2 opinions for A Nail in the Heart
Julie Richard
Sep 15, 2007 at 6:00 am
Hi, My name is Julie. My husband suffered the same accident. He was working in construction when the air nailer fired a 3/4 inch spike nail into his chest.The nail hit his right ventricle. Thankfully he survived. I was wondering how long does one need to fully recover. Are there any long term effects?
steve hobbs
Aug 14, 2008 at 6:09 pm
i am a 36 year old carpenter from england, weston super mare, i was shot in the chest with a 3 inch nail, it hit my left ventricle then my aorta, was in sugery for aprox four hours to have it removed, hospital for a week and to date am still recovering (five months later). i still get sleep problems and breathing problems, confusion and dizzyness, also been diagnosed with PTSD, due to the accident. i do not feel ready to go back to work as yet. posted 14 th august 2008.
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