1. Albirich

    Albirich Active Member

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    Can one survive by getting their throat sliced?

    Discussion in 'Research' started by Albirich, Nov 12, 2013.

    I saw a particular movie yesterday, I won't say its name because it is a heavy spoiler (kind of)

    So the man survived getting his throat cut, the story took place in our time with our technology. Is that really possible? He could talk once he had healed as well. How about medieval times, would one be able to survive such a wound back then?

    I don't think one would survive such a wound in our time even, at least not talk perfectly after the wound had been healed and fixed, what not.
     
  2. Thomas Kitchen

    Thomas Kitchen Proofreader in the Making Contributor

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    Watch this video. I'm not sure how long it took your movie's character to be treated, but this one was pretty fast.

    Also, it depends on which artery is slit - if it's the jugular, you're in trouble, but it could be that the wound just opened the skin and gushed the blood out from there, therefore being non-fatal (unfatal?).

    WARNING: there is blood, so if you're squeamish, don't watch this video!
     
  3. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    google joe e lewis... rent the movie 'the joker is wild'...

    bottom line: yes, it's entirely possible 'in our time'!

    as for now or any further back in history, chances for survival/recovery depend on how deeply the throat has been cut and what has been severed completely/merely nicked... plus what medical services are available and how far away they are, how long it will take to get there, or for aid to reach the victim...
     
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  4. jazzabel

    jazzabel Agent Provocateur Contributor

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    I don't know about the particulars of that scene and maybe the way it was portrayed was utterly ridiculous, medically speaking, but in general, yes, it's perfectly possible to survive a throat cutting injury, as long as the appropriate treatment was given on time. There were people with scars from ear to ear even in medieval times. One thing you can usually count on - people can survive anything, no matter how unlikely, someone's survived it. That's not to say people can survive everything. There needs to be a very lucky coincidence that vital structures aren't irreparably damaged, but from the outside, it can still look like a blood bath.

    @Thomas Kitchen: Jugular is a vein, carotid is an artery ;)
     
  5. GingerCoffee

    GingerCoffee Web Surfer Girl Contributor

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    The structures in a throat slashing that matter are major blood vessels and the trachea.

    It's possible to exsanguinate from the large veins and/or the carotid artery. But if you only cut structures on one side, you can put pressure on them and the other side will still supply the brain.

    One thing to keep in mind is, anytime you sever or put a large hole in in a major blood vessel, it takes a lot of pressure to stop the bleeding and people bleed out rather fast. But it's possible to slash a throat and not hit any major vessels as they are fairly deep.

    As for the trachea, if you don't hit the larynx, you can cut the trachea and have it not affect speech later. It's pretty hard to survive a full trachea severing, but you can actually breathe through the neck until you get into surgery.

    A friend of mine was murdered many many years ago, she was stabbed 180 times, and her throat was slit. Another friend found her before she died, (see the summary in the link). Even though it doesn't say so in the news report, he told us she had to put her hand over her lacerated trachea in order to speak.
     
  6. Thomas Kitchen

    Thomas Kitchen Proofreader in the Making Contributor

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    @jazzabel - Damn it, I've been spotted! *Runs away*
     
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  7. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Really?

    [​IMG]

    Oh, I see what you mean.
     
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  8. Steinbeck101

    Steinbeck101 New Member

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    Yikes!
     
  9. Witchymama

    Witchymama Active Member

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    Excellent movie! Loved that scene.
     
  10. Fiorenzo Arcadi

    Fiorenzo Arcadi New Member

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    There's a real good possibility of surviving if your throat gets cut. One time I was playing hockey and one of my teammates fell on the ice, a player went on to skate over his neck. Lots of blood on the ice and we worked as a team to apply pressure on his neck until the medics came. He did live, and every now and then we all go to the bar and have a couple of drinks. Of course he'll never play hockey anymore though.
     
  11. Lorenzostales

    Lorenzostales New Member

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    As long as he receives medical help in time one could survive. In medieval times it would have been very unlikely though.
     

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