Teenage girl has stomach removed after drinking cocktail

[Lace Neil Singer]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...y-8202317.html

While the bar was responsible, I do think it was a bit of a stupid thing for the girl to do. I mean, liquid nitrogen? O_o I wouldn't even think of drinking a cocktail containing that.

[TheHuckster]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...y-8202317.html

While the bar was responsible, I do think it was a bit of a stupid thing for the girl to do. I mean, liquid nitrogen? O_o I wouldn't even think of drinking a cocktail containing that.

But if a bar sold it, I would have thought either it was "pretend liquid nitrogen" or otherwise safe. I am no chemist, but I know enough about liquid nitrogen to stay away from it, and I'd most definitely never imagine anyone legally selling me such a drink.

[Aethian]

From what I understand of the drink the bar fubared it. Someone most likely poured too much into the glass so instead of making the glass colder then ice and that's it she actually ingested and froze her stomach.

[Dreamstalker]

I thought dry ice (CO2, somewhat safer) was more commonly used for that effect.

[Aethian]

I thought dry ice (CO2, somewhat safer) was more commonly used for that effect.

It is. But I guess these guys were trying to be....special(?).

[fireheart17]

I think it's something to do with the flash-freezing process or something.

The knee-jerk reaction down here has been to ban the use of the chemical in cocktails. The comments hwoever were complaining about the stock photo that went with the article in question. Why? Because the bartender was wearing safety goggles....-.-

[Greenday]

But if a bar sold it, I would have thought either it was "pretend liquid nitrogen" or otherwise safe. I am no chemist, but I know enough about liquid nitrogen to stay away from it, and I'd most definitely never imagine anyone legally selling me such a drink.

Welp, I am a chemist. So here's my take:

Liquid nitrogen is relatively safe to use. I could take some, dump it on your arm, and absolutely nothing would happen. As long as you don't hold onto to it somehow, like cupping your hand and catching it, you'd be fine.

Using it to just make stuff cold? Seems kind of ridiculous to me since there is safer stuff called ice which you can ingest. I suppose it could work and it would work super fast, but it all goes back to what I said about not cupping your hand. If you catch it, you contain it and will quickly get frost bite. If a glass catches it and you drink it, it will destroy your throat and stomach.

Just seems like they switched out safety for speed and now they are going to pay the price.

[telecom_goddess]

What the fuck? liquid nitrogen? I had no idea this was a trend. And how in the world is she going to live without her stomach? They couldn't mend it or take SOME out instead of all? My mother had about a 4th of her stomach left but at least she had some.

[TheHuckster]

Liquid nitrogen is relatively safe to use. I could take some, dump it on your arm, and absolutely nothing would happen.

I sense some doubt in this statement. Why don't you dump it on your arm?

[Greenday]

I sense some doubt in this statement. Why don't you dump it on your arm?

Ok. I've done it multiple times on purpose to freak people out.

[Andara Bledin]

Check the details, TH. Your arm is so warm compared to liquid nitrogen that it pretty much vaporizes on contact. Safety requirements actually call for bare arms because of this, but also call for insulating gloves and shoes because the likelihood of prolonged contact is so much higher in both cases.

The dangers, as stated, are prolonged contact (severe frostbite leading to necrosis) and expansion, which is a lot of the danger if it's ingested.

Article at Time

The main point is that liquid nitrogen must be fully evaporated from the meal or drink before serving, said Peter Barham of the University of Bristol’s School of Physics. It can safely be used in food or drink preparation, but it should not be ingested.

Regardless, due to it's nature, the liquid nitrogen should have been very much obvious floating around the top of the shot, and the shot should never have been served until the last bit had completely evaporated, which should have been only a few seconds longer.

^-.-^

[lordlundar]

I sense some doubt in this statement. Why don't you dump it on your arm?

A friend's physics teacher dumped a cup of liquid nitrogen on his head quite often. He's done it at least once each classroom as I've been told. No ill effects.

See because Nitrogen liquefies at such a low temperature, at room temperature the liquid will evaporate extremely quick and if there's a route for heat to get to it and the resulting gas to escape, it can do so faster than it takes to affect people. It's when it's in a container where the nitrogen gas forms a barrier that prevents further evaporation that causes it to stick around for longer.

[fireheart17]

And how in the world is she going to live without her stomach? They couldn't mend it or take SOME out instead of all? My mother had about a 4th of her stomach left but at least she had some.

She can only eat small amounts of food at any one time, but otherwise she may be on a liquid diet.

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[Nyoibo]

What the fuck? liquid nitrogen? I had no idea this was a trend. And how in the world is she going to live without her stomach? They couldn't mend it or take SOME out instead of all? My mother had about a 4th of her stomach left but at least she had some.

A reasonable amount of nutrients you get from foor are taken out in the intestine, it's possible to live without a stomach, but it usually requires liquid nutrient diets or similar and very little solid food.