Self-embedding of objects in body a puzzling teen disorder
03.12.2008 23:39
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
Some teens are wounding themselves and embedding objects such as paper clips and glass to cope with disturbed thoughts and feelings, say U.S. doctors who are looking for ways to remove the objects safely. Self-embedding moves beyond self-injury, such as cutting the skin, burning, bruising or pulling hair, breaking bones or swallowing toxic substances. The prevalence is unknown because many cases go unreported, but recent studies reported that 13 to 24 per cent of high school students in the U.S. and Canada have deliberately injured themselves at least once, according to research presented at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting in Chicago on Wednesday. "We identified a group of 10 patients over a three-year period of time that have this pattern of self-inflicted injury," said Dr. William Shiels, chief of radiology at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who presented his findings on developing a minimally invasive surgical technique to remove the objects at the meeting. "It's cutting gone to the next level." Before 2005, Shiels said, he had never seen a case. Shiels and his colleagues studied 19 episodes of self-embedding injury in nine young women and one male, all aged 15 to 18. Teens inserted the objects into their arms, hands, feet, ankles and necks, the researchers said. Most had significant psychiatric problems including depression. The teens reported they were in an agitated state and that the embedding brought a degree of comfort, Shiels said. Researchers have speculated that self-injury may release natural opiates in the brain. Pediatric radiologists used ultrasound and fluoroscopic imaging to guide their removal of 52 embedded objects — including needles, staples, paper clips, wood, plastic, crayon and stone — that could not normally be detected in X-rays. The technique offers surgeons and emergency physicians a safe and effective way to remove objects that could break apart using traditional surgical techniques, said co-author Adam Young. The act of cutting itself may not be a suicide attempt, but 90 per cent of the patients are suicidal, said Wendy Lader, a psychologist and co-founder of S.A.F.E. Alternatives, a treatment program for self-injury disorders in Naperville, Ill. "They are trying desperately to find ways to cope with life's problems, and suicide is definitely an option," Lader said. With files from ReutersStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksSurvey warns youth hurt themselves to deal with mental stressExternal LinksInterdisciplinary National Self-Injury in Youth Network Canada(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window) Health HeadlinesHealth care often inaccessible to Inuit: reportInuit have far less contact with doctors than the average Canadian, particularly in the northern communities where few have hospitals, a new Statistics Canada report says.Self-embedding of objects in body a puzzling teen disorderSome teens are wounding themselves and embedding objects such as paper clips and glass to cope with disturbed thoughts and feelings, say U.S. doctors who are looking for ways to remove the objects safely.Add sleep break for doctors in training: reportDoctors training at hospitals should limit how long they work without a sleep break to reduce the chances of fatigue-related medical errors and improve their learning environment, an expert panel in the U.S. recommended.Online stem cell therapies 'not ready for prime time,' study cautionsA Canadian study says consumers should be wary of web-based clinics that offer unproven stem cell therapies for numerous diseases.Ontario adds 6 new drugs to coverage listOntario added six new prescription drugs, including a long-lasting form of insulin and a colorectal cancer medication, to its list of those covered by the Ontario Public Drug Programs. Health FeaturesWEEKLY CHECKUPPutting kids firstLessons from Madonna and GuyIN DEPTHCholeraNUTRITIONTrans fatsGirl Guides moving away from 'bad' fats FOOD SAFETYJuice boxes Reports of leaks prompt CFIA investigationVIDEODodaAddictive poppy derivative poses challenge to police (2:18)CAMPUS CRACKDOWNDrunken studentsA problem that is well past the tippling pointPeople who read this also read …
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