Since X-rays were discovered in 1895, we have been using them to see into the human body and through many other items. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen wasn't trying to invent the X-ray; it was just him noticing something unusual during an experiment. After his findings, it soon became what many others wanted to study. Roentgen's first X-ray of a human was his wife's hand, which was an exciting and amazing discovery at the time. We now use X-rays as a standard in non-invasive medical care and diagnostic testing.
Most times X-rays show nothing that would be considered unusual, but at times some very interesting and odd things show up. Here are a few instances where a radiologic technologist looked at an X-ray result with surprise and shock.
In 2014, a two-year-old child in China had an X-ray taken of his brain. The child had managed to insert a chopstick up his nose and into his brain. Scans found that the chopstick was 7 centimeters into the brain, but was luckily not damaging any major areas and the child is expected to fully recover.
Police had to enlist the help of a radiologic technician in Utah due when a man stole a diamond ring from a mall. When police caught up with him and his girlfriend, the ring was nowhere to be found. After testing, X-rays showed that his girlfriend swallowed it.
During an X-ray of an eight-year-old boy, small metal objects were found and surgery was scheduled. During surgery, the boy's appendix needed to be removed since it was filled with metal pellets. The boy had eaten a goose that was shot and killed by a shotgun. After surgery it was revealed that 57 pellets were in the child's appendix.
When parents brought their young son to the hospital, a radiologic technician found 42 magnets in him. The parents said the one-year-old swallowed them while they were not looking.
One man in the U.K. was attacked and taken to the hospital covered in blood and having considerable pain. It was later discovered after an X-ray that a five-inch knife blade was lodged in his arm.
A man went to the dentist because of tooth pain. After X-rays, both he and the doctor were surprised to learn that a nail was lodged up through the roof of his mouth and into his brain. The man did not realize that six days earlier he had the four-inch nail go into his skull.
In Pakistan, a prisoner was complaining of abdominal pain. Doctors were shocked by what they found on the X-ray. The prisoner had a light bulb stuck in his large intestine. When questioned, the prisoner said he didn't know how it got there.
A patient in Hungary was complaining of abdominal pain. An X-ray was done and doctors found a 7-inch kidney stone that weighed two and a half pounds. It looked like an enormous egg in both the X-ray pictures and after removal.
A man was coughing up blood when he went to the hospital in Russia. They diagnosed him with cancer and scheduled surgery after seeing what they thought was a tumor on an X-ray. During surgery, it was found that the tumor wasn't one at all, but it was a small fir tree that had somehow started growing inside the man.
As a radiologic technologist, you never know what you may see in the X-rays you take. Most days at work are your standard broken bones and other routine conditions. However, every once in a while you'll see something that will make you wonder, "How did that get there?" or "What in the world is that?"
Is a Career in Medical Radiography for You?
You can embark on an exciting career path of radiography by enrolling for ECPI University's Associate of Applied Science Degree in Health Science – Medical Radiography. The job outlook for this profession is quite bright. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of radiation therapists is $77,560 per year and employment of radiologic technologists is projected to grow 24 percent from 2012 to 2022. Contact ECPI University’s College of Health Science, Medical Careers Institute, today to get started on this rewarding career. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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