BEIJING: A woman in China was lucky to escape serious injury after being hit by a car, not due to the impact of the accident, but because of an innocuous hair clip.
The 61-year-old Chengdu resident, who is known only by her surname Du, was crossing a street on Feb 3 when she met with an accident and landed on her head, reported Chinese online news site 163.com.
The fall caused the claw clip on her head to penetrate her scalp, and she was conscious when admitted to the General Medical 363 Hospital in Chengdu at 3.20pm.
Speaking to Chinese media on Feb 8, Dr Tian Fengming, an emergency physician from the hospital, said that half of the woman’s gold-coloured claw clip was broken, while the other half was lodged in her head.
Three of the clip’s teeth were fully sunken into her head, Dr Tian added, though they had fortunately bent on impact and did not reach her skull, making them easier to remove.
Dr Tian administered an anaesthetic shot and removed the clip within 10 minutes.
Claw clips – both made of metal and plastic – can be dangerous, said the doctor, as they are usually donned at the back of the head, where the brain stem is located.
The brain stem is the lowest part of the brain, and controls many vital functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, according to the US National Cancer Institute.
If a sharp object, such as a claw clip, penetrates the skull in that area, a person may suffer from respiratory and cardiac arrest, which could be fatal.
Dr Tian advised those who wear claw clips to be careful when exercising or performing other daily activities, and to stay calm and seek medical treatment immediately if an accident happens. - The Straits Times/ANN
