The "I need medical advice for my novel" thread

Hi YWS! So as some of you know, and some of you are about to learn, I am currently a third year medical student who loves sharing what she knows to help others with their writing.

So I was thinking that I'd like to do some Writing Gooder posts answering questions you've always wanted answered but can't phrase properly in Google talking about common medical queries that novelists face. Want to know how seriously injured your character is going to be? Need to know how blood transfusions work? Want an interesting way to kill someone off? Need to know a particular disease process? The inner workings of a hospital?

Please please ask me!

I'm going to leave this thread open indefinitely and I'll get to all the questions I can. Ideally I'd like to answer around five questions in a post so by all means bombard me with as many as you like at once and I'll get around to them all!

And remember that this isn't totally selfless on my part - it's fun and it's also helping me revise?

So go ahead

Oh my I will definitely be using this thread. Just a heads up for later. Nothing right now but I am def subscribing and liking.

This is cool, I'm really into First Aid... but the medical aspect is something that I do not really know about, so this might be useful ( now I want to kill someone off! ).

If this is your idea of revision, you win. Game over. Everyone else can just go home, now.

Got any information on how prolonged exposure to space (er, like, in space ships, that is) effects the human body? Granted, I'm operating in a scifi universe, with artificial gravity, but still! Or, how going between space/being planetside effects the body, both in terms of entering/leaving atmosphere and being physically present. Is that too out there?

I'm really interested in what happens when someone goes into shock. Or what level of injury/incident would send someone into shock. What are the dangers if being in shock, is there a higher risk of further injury if you don't take a rest and recover.

I put my characters through so much, I'm pretty sure they should be taking it harder than they do xD

I find it hard to get information on like...administering aid if you don't have an ambulance on the end of a phone? Everything I find is like 'Do this, then that, then call an ambulance!'

So like, how would you deal with a knife wound if there's no one with medical training about or no stitches to be found? Maybe the same with bullet wounds?

This might be stupid because you're doing this from the stand point of training to be a Doctor...But if you had any idea as a medically minded person that would be aaawesoooome.

<3

Whee, cool thread!


K, so, finger-breaking.

•How hard would it be for Bill to break Ted's fingers by like, bending them back or sideways? (Like, Bill breaks Ted's fingers with his own hands. Is that very do-able?)

•What would Ted's fingers look like after the breaking?

•How long would it take Ted's fingers to heal, and do they need to be like splinted and stuff, or just wrapped up really tight?


Also, does one zap a flatline? I've heard that you don't, and I've heard that you do sometimes, so I'm completely unsure.

Lauren2010 wrote:I'm really interested in what happens when someone goes into shock. Or what level of injury/incident would send someone into shock. What are the dangers if being in shock, is there a higher risk of further injury if you don't take a rest and recover.

I put my characters through so much, I'm pretty sure they should be taking it harder than they do xD

Shock is caused from all kind of injuries; severe bleeding, crush injuries, even from just witnessing an incident can send someone into shock.

Shock is quit dangerous because if it's not taken seriously, and not treated, it can worsen the effects of the injury.

Basically, when someone goes into shock, you keep them warm and treat the illness or injury found.

( sorry, I wont answer anymore! )

How long does it take the body to recover from 2nd-3rd degree burns? What kind of scar tissue does that leave?

Oh good, burns and shock are already covered.

Can a woman get stabbed while she's pregnant and survive without losing the baby and her ability to have more babies? I imagine it depends on where exactly she's stabbed and in which month she is in, so do please include that info in the answer too, if you can :3

I know I'll come back with more later, but let's cover characters one by one..

I just want to say : YWS's resident doctor has arrived!

Ooh! @Meshugenah, I know a little bit about what you're looking for. As long as artificial gravity is available, there shouldn't be anything affecting the bones (the problem we currently face with space travel). Also, in space it's pretty easy to get bombarded by dangerous particles from the sun (There's a really great Nova program called 'Can we Make it to Mars?', and I think that'd be a good resource too. You can find it online here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/space/can-we-make-it-to-mars.html

Here is a wonderful medical question: What does spinal fluid taste like?

O.o

@Zolen - sugary.