Sword swallowing and its side effects

BMJ 2006;333:1285
Published 21 December 2006
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39027.676690.55

Brian Witcombe, consultant radiologist [1], Dan Meyer, executive director [2]

[1] Department of Radiology, Gloucestershire Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester GL1 3NN
[2] Sword Swallowers' Association International, 3729 Belle Oaks Drive, Antioch, Tennessee 37013, USA

Objective

To evaluate information on the practice and associated ill effects of sword swallowing.

Design

Letters sent to sword swallowers requesting information on technique and complications.

Setting

Membership lists of the Sword Swallowers' Association International.

Participants

110 sword swallowers from 16 countries.

Results

We had information from 46 sword swallowers. Major complications are more likely when the swallower is distracted or swallows multiple or unusual swords or when previous injury is present. Perforations mainly involve the oesophagus and usually have a good prognosis. Sore throats are common, particularly while the skill is being learnt or when performances are too frequent. Major gastrointestinal bleeding sometimes occurs, and occasional chest pains tend to be treated without medical advice. Sword swallowers without healthcare coverage expose themselves to financial as well as physical risk.

Conclusions

Sword swallowers run a higher risk of injury when they are distracted or adding embellishments to their performance, but injured performers have a better prognosis than patients who suffer iatrogenic perforation.

http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7582/1285

Real-time three-dimensional ultrasound visualization of erection and artificial coitus

International Journal of Andrology
Volume 29, Issue 2, pages 374–379, April 2006
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00617.x

Jing Deng [1,2.*], Margaret A. Hall-Craggs [3], D. Pellerin [4], Alfred D. Linney [1], William R. Lees [3], Charles H. Rodeck [2] and Andrew Todd-Pokropek [1]

[1] Departments of Medical Physics and Bioengineering
[2] Obstetrics and Gynaecology
[3] Medical Imaging
[4] Heart Hospital, University College London, London, UK

*Dr Jing Deng, Department of Medical Physics, Malet Place Engineering Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK

Summary

To investigate the feasibility of imaging penile erection and coitus in real time and in three dimensions, a ‘Live’ three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound system was used to acquire the volume of interest at 25 Hz from five healthy men. Water baths and gel-made artificial vaginas were devised to facilitate the 3-D scans without the probe being in direct contact with the penis. For the first volunteer scanned with the water bath alone, the penis failed to erect within 30 min. For the other four volunteers, the ‘vagina’ successfully initiated and maintained the erection and allowed artificial intercourse. Results have shown that the ‘Live’ 3-D ultrasound and minimally compressive imaging techniques together can offer an objective means for visualizing erection and coitus in spatial totality and temporal reality. They can be further developed to reveal more reliable details about the dynamic morphology, improving scientific understanding of sexual activities and clinical management of related problems.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00617.x/abstract

Do We Learn from Our Mistakes? An Examination of the Impact of Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences on College Students’ Drinking Patterns and Perceptions

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
March 2006 : Volume 67, Issue 2: 269-276

Kimberly A. Mallett, Christine M. Lee, Clayton Neighbors, Mary E. Larimer, Rob Turrisi

Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, 204 East Calder Way, Suite 208, State College, Pennsylvania 16801

Christine M. Lee, Clayton Neighbors, and Mary E. Larimer are with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Rob Turrisi is with the Department of Biobehavioral Health and Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Objective

Little research has examined antecedents of specific drinking consequences (vomiting, regretted sex, hangover, blackouts) among college students. This research examined how students’ experiences of past consequences relate to their beliefs of experiencing similar consequences in the future and how these beliefs relate to current drinking patterns.

Method

Self-reported past drinking behavior and resulting consequences associated with specific occasions were assessed among 303 (66% women) college students. Students also estimated number of drinks associated with risk of experiencing future similar consequences.

Results

Paired-samples t tests indicated that students significantly overestimated the number of drinks it would take to vomit, have unwanted sexual experiences, experience hangovers, and black out in comparison with the actual self-reported number of drinks consumed the last time identical consequences were experienced. In addition, a series of multiple-regression analyses revealed that greater misperceptions between the perceived and actual number of drinks associated with each type of consequence were consistently associated with heavier drinking.

Conclusions

Results suggest that heavier-drinking students do not learn from their mistakes but instead overestimate the amount of alcohol they can consume without experiencing negative consequences. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed in terms of augmenting brief interventions aimed at heavy-drinking college students.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2443639/