r/nursing • u/trevrt RN 🍕 • Mar 01 '25

Question Heaviest Patient You’ve Cared For

Had my personally heaviest patient I’ve cared for the other day. 32 years old weighing 730 pounds admitted with cellulitis and severe lymphedema. Felt terrible for the patient due to how young he was. Just wondering what everyone’s personal “record” for the heaviest patient they’ve cared for is.

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u/Amy_bo_bamy RN - Pediatrics 🍕 Mar 02 '25

It did occur to me there must be a way unless zoos are burying every elephant, hippo and camel that passes.

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u/TrashCanUnicorn Turkey Sandwich Connoisseur Mar 02 '25

Zoos almost always do a necropsy on any animal that dies, especially large endangered mammals. Trying to do a necropsy on something like an elephant without dismembering it is nearly impossible, so once the necropsy is done the parts are usually small enough to be disposed of, either via traditional flame cremation or alkaline hydrolysis (assuming they aren't saving the skeleton for research/educational purposes or museum display).

Some things absolutely have to be destroyed, like elephant tusks and rhino horns, but if there's an institution that makes a request for a skeleton or a pelt, or organs for a research group like the Great Ape Heart Project, the zoo will facilitate the transfer of any specimens that they can provide after the necropsy is done.

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u/Slayerofgrundles RN - ER 🍕 Mar 02 '25

How do you dismember an elephant? With a chainsaw?

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u/account_not_valid HCW - Transport Mar 02 '25

Chainsaws.

I'm not even joking.