This gory medical case shows why you should never, ever swallow a toothpick

Ars Technica:

A team of Boston doctors tell the woebegone tale of an unnamed, 18-year-old professional athlete who unknowingly swallowed a wooden toothpick. After weeks of abdominal pain, multiple visits to emergency rooms, bloody poops, and a life-threatening infection, doctors finally discovered it—lodged in his colon, piercing through his intestinal wall and into a neighboring, large artery. Then there was the harrowing effort to remove it and patch him up.

I love these medial mystery stories but fair warning, don’t look at the photos unless you’ve got a strong stomach.