Terrifying CT scan shows how woman was impaled by Christmas tree

Not one for the easily queasy

A CT scan highlighted in a recent medical journal has revealed shocking images of a woman's injuries after she was impaled by a Christmas tree. Not exactly the best present you could hope for around the holiday season. The unnamed patient was a 54-year-old woman from Northern Ireland who found herself stuck by the festive artificial fur after she feel from a stepladder and landed on the stem. Oof. Your last warning to look away. [caption id="attachment_353919" align="alignnone" width="1296"] CT scan 1

Credit: Clinical Case Reports[/caption] As explained by Daisy Hill Hospital medical staff examining the unusual case in Clinical Case Reports, the metal base and stem portion of the tree managed to "impale her through her right buttock into her pelvis." They go on to explain that "despite the impressive mechanism of injury, there was no immediate life-threatening bleed and the patient was subsequently transferred to the local Major Trauma Centre for expert surgical management but suffered significant delays due to the lack of clear transfer pathways.” As if the entire situation wasn't extraordinary enough, the poor lady had to wait for over an hour and a half for firefighters to safely cut away the pole so the woman could be given properly treated and receive an x-ray. The team then went on to used numerous imaging processes to create a 3D reconstruction of the injury. [caption id="attachment_353921" align="alignnone" width="1200"] CT scan 2

Credit: "[/caption] The woman thanked emergency responders for saving her from the near miss that could very well have hit a vital organ or caused high levels of bleeding, adding that she "owes [her] life" to them. Fortunately, the lady was taken to a specialist trauma unit to undergo the surgery and has made a full recovery.