"He hates mosquitoes" 
2003 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance
I am a Critical care physician in a rural Virgina Hospital. Here is a honorable mention from my files:
I was asked to manage a hypotensive man with unexplained respiratory failure. His pupils were huge, he was drooling and had a low heart rate. He was treated supportively. Over the next two days that he was on life support, this amusing history was obtained from his wife.
The patient was coerced into going camping at a local lake. He didn't want to go because "He hates mosquitoes." He planned ahead and went equipped with some insecticide. For two days he repeatedly would spray his tent with this insecticide and then lie down in it and zipper the tent shut. They brought in the can which I saw contains pyrithrins which can cause a cholenergic poisioning syndrome similar to the way he presented. I shook the oversized (budget)can and told his wife that he couldn't have hurt himself too much with it as the can was only about 1/4 used. His wife replied,"Oh doctor, that is the second can."
After he recovered he mentioned to me that he intended to sue the company as the can was not labled as being a poision. "And after all doc, I used to work as an exterminator."
FHB
Submitted on 09/19/2002
Submitted by:
Frank H. Biscardi, M.D., F.C.C.P.
Reference:
Copyright © 2002 DarwinAwards.com
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