passed out during first day of anatomy lab, HELP!

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There are lots of reasons why people pass out. Do you have any idea why you did?
 
A guy actually passed out in lab today. Maybe Mondays make people pass out? 😀

We flipped the cadavers over today to start working on the chest (we started with the back muscles), and I guess seeing a face made him faint. He also said he didn't eat breakfast. He whacked his head pretty hard too, but I guess he's okay.
 
Just wait till Neuro when you do face and cranial vault. The material alone will make you pass out
 
Why were you practicing suturing the first day? Seems like you are kind of putting the cart before the horse there. Oh, bummer about passing out too.
 
it wasn't the formaldehyde, because i was closely observing other people working on the cadaver for about 45 minutes. Only when I started physically suturing a laceration up, did I start to feel weird. Nerves prolly contributed a lot to it, I just get myself too worked up sometimes. Hopefully this isn't a recurring thing
 
I was practicing suturing on a cadaver...
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I'm sorry, but if this isn't a troll then you deserved to pass out.
 
Its vasovagal. Learn to recognize what it feels like when its about to happen and make sure you sit down. If you don't mind getting on the ground that the optimal situation would be to be supine with your legs elevated. Essentially you get bradycardic and hypotensive... You'll probably get used to it after one more day in the lab as most ppl do
 
This is called desensitization, which is in my opinion the most valuable part of the anatomy lab. In your career of medicine, you will see so many gross things beyond the wildest dream (or nightmare) of a lay person.

You will get better, trust me. I didn't pass out in the anatomy lab, but before med school cadavers could scare me to death. Now I can solo-disect a cadaver at 2am lit by several white candles and a creepy music in the background.

By the way, the next time you will pass out is in the OR in your 3rd year 🙂
 
Best advice given by our anatomy lab instructor:

1. Never stay in one position too long - avoid limb parasthesia and hypotension

2. Always eat/drink appropriately before coming to lab. Lab will make you hungry and thirsty! Also good to keep some food/drink outside the lab for break.

3. Get enough rest - lab makes you exhausted!

Good luck 🙂
 
Good Yeast said:
T
You will get better, trust me. I didn't pass out in the anatomy lab, but before med school cadavers could scare me to death. Now I can solo-disect a cadaver at 2am lit by several white candles and a creepy music in the background.
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Challenge!!
 
Random MS said:
Best advice given by our anatomy lab instructor:

1. Never stay in one position too long - avoid limb parasthesia and hypotension

2. Always eat/drink appropriately before coming to lab. Lab will make you hungry and thirsty! Also good to keep some food/drink outside the lab for break.

3. Get enough rest - lab makes you exhausted!

Good luck 🙂
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This and making sure that you move around every 10-15 minutes or so is the best advice you can get.

I have only passed out once in my life, and that was when I was in the army standing at attention for 20-30 minutes hungry, tired as hell and cold as f***. Since I was freezing my muscles were tightening and stopping the bloodflow to my brain.

Dissecting can be the same when you stand still for a long period of time without moving and focusing intensly on what you are doing. You forget to move around and your muscles tighten and the bloodflow to your brain becomes reduced and you pass out...

Signs that you need to move around/drink water/sit down:
- You feel dizzy
- Thirsty/hungry
- Blurred vision
- Feeling like you are going to vomit

If you try to be aware on these signs and do the above mentioned things to prevent it you will be fine :xf:
 
I had a miserable time whenever I was in the anatomy lab. It had more to do with my height though. I was at least 7 inches taller than everyone in my group (most of the time) and the hunching over just killed me. Its important to just take a little stretch break once in a while, go check out some of the other bodies, ask questions and come back. I rather take 15 minutes longer on my dissection and not be in agony or near passing out because I wasn't paying attention to locking my knees.....or you could find something to sit on.
 
Everyone feels weird about dissection on the first day. Eventually, you'll get desensitized. I, too, have zero problem solo dissecting at 2 am with candles and creepy music.

Don't worry about the head. It's last and by the time you get there you won't have a problem with it. I got a morbid thrill from taking a Stryker saw to a skull.
 
Good Yeast said:
You will get better, trust me. I didn't pass out in the anatomy lab, but before med school cadavers could scare me to death. Now I can solo-disect a cadaver at 2am lit by several white candles and a creepy music in the background.
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:laugh::laugh:
I don't believe you though.
 
i guess we'll find out tomorrow when I'm dissecting the heart. Maybe I should keep some smelling salts handy in addition to the advise you guys have provided.
 
Make sure you don't lock your knees (if you're moving around then you won't, but many people when standing still do). If you're not sure if you're locking your knees or not, then when you're standing still make sure your knees are bent at least slightly. Good luck! :luck:
 
Jolie South said:
Don't worry about the head. It's last and by the time you get there you won't have a problem with it. I got a morbid thrill from taking a Stryker saw to a skull.
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We did head and neck first! 😱 I got over it pretty quickly though...
 
Suturing the first month of medical school? Really? I think you should worry about anatomy. Learning the suture in M3 takes a week of practice.

As for passing out, you'll be fine and it is the same advice for surgery. Be hydrated and sit down if you have to. It's much better than waking up in a hospital bed.
 
I never had a problem in cadaver lab, but I have had a tendency to pass out during even simple medical procedures. The key is to be aware it's a problem for you and try to prevent it - eat plenty of food beforehand, stay hydrated, don't lock your knees, keep your legs moving, keep your eyes moving. You have to keep your legs moving BEFORE you have a problem...once you start seeing black it's too late and all you can do is sit down so you didn't hit your head on something.

On the bright side, I really do think you can get over it - I've watched half a dozens traumas in the ER in the last week and I've been fine...though I did stay close to the wall for the first couple just in case. 😉
 
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8[/YOUTUBE]

Watch that and you'll be fine. Promise.
 
Tiger26 said:
Yeah, what the hell were you doing practicing suturing. Anatomy lab is for cutting--brutal, glorious, and unafraid cutting.
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Don't forget the most effective way to really make headway through tissue; BLUNT dissection....😀

To the OP, you may be having a vagal response. Just sit down if need be. I think the others have also given some good advice.
Also, try to relax and not put too much pressure on yourself. If it's some sort of anxiety, continued exposure to such things (which you'll not be lacking down the road) will help alot. Just don't get too worked up over it.
 
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1) you get used to it
2) if you're at all hung over or hungry going into lab... you'll have trouble (according to some of my classmates...)
 
The worst part for me was sawing a head in half with a hack saw. Few things made me feel like more of a sociopath than that.
 
I watched this fellow pass out... it was somewhat funny to watch. The suturing gave it away. My advice to you is not to take the fainting too seriously - it's just your body telling you it had a problem with something you were doing. It would be strange if your body didn't realize you should not be cutting up a dead guy and breathing in all that formaldehyde. In any case, people don't think anything less of someone for fainting, and if they did then their opinion isn't one that you should value. Just my $.02.
 
It is probably because you were nervous about suturing with everyone watching you. It is a natural reaction, yours was just stronger than most.


Also, I don't know why everyone is giving him a hard time about suturing. I know it is early, but I highly doubt the guy is gunning it and it is most likely something that the anatomy professors had them do. If he is in fact gunning it, then I dunno what to say.
 
cfdavid said:
Don't forget the most effective way to really make headway through tissue; BLUNT dissection....😀
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agreed
for blunt dissection don't even bother using probes. just use your fingers or even hands when reflecting muscle
 
Once you been to 4chan and seen goatze, 2girls1cup, 1guy1cup, and lemonparty, you become so desensitized that you could eat lunch through anatomy class.
 
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