If you ever think that emergency rooms cost too much, or that doctors make too much money, check out
http://trauma.org . There's some interesting discussion, and a whole image gallery that ... well, suffice to say I'll be wearing my seatbelt from now on. Trauma.org is made up of trauma physicians, their esoteric medical discussions ("...massive trauma that appeared incompatible with life..."; "Aw, c'mon, Ken! Crack the chest! I wanna see what's inside!" "...I think the general consensus on this case is to go to lunch and look for someone else to save..."), advice, and pictures.
Ever wonder what it looks like to commit suicide with a radio antenna? One guy tried; they saved him. Ever wonder what a shotgun blast REALLY does at close range? They saved him, too. Hint: It's nothing like the movies. In fact, I think I'd rather take the shotgun at -close- range rather than long range; pellets everywhere are nothing to screw around with :\ They have one of those, too. Ever wonder what an L85A1 (S80) will ACTUALLY do at point-blank range? I forgot all about flash suppressor burns.
MVAs (motor vehicle accidents), with and without seatbelts. (wear your seatbelt, kids.) Various stabbings, impalements (sword through neck). Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. fasciotomy, from fingertips to biceps due to rattlesnake bite (fasciotomy: removal of the fascia. Fascia: the layer of tissue between skin and muscle). At least that story ended happily.
I feel slightly nauseous, and I have a decently strong stomach. This site is NOT for the faint of heart. I was researching for some writing (I still didn't find out what I needed to know, but the pictures are ... well, I'll never complain about overpaid doctors again.)
Excuse me; I have to go shove my stomach back down my throat.