I’m an ICU doctor – these are the three activities I’d NEVER do after being ‘scarred for life’ from treating patients

An intensive care doctor has revealed the three things he will never do after being ‘scarred for life’ from treating patients.

A TikTok doctor in California who goes by Dr Dave posted a video this week where he explained three things he personally wouldn’t do after seeing patients with serious injuries or who died from those activities. 

‘This is mainly because of the things I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot of these cases, and it’s scarred me for life, I gotta say,’ he said in the video, which has more than 860,000 views.

‘At the end of the day, the actions that don’t provide enough benefit to my life and have too much risk, I just don’t pursue at all.’ 

They are: riding a motorbike, going to a chiropractor, and smoking. 

Motorbiking and smoking were among Dr Dave’s no-go list due to the risk of health issues like paralysis, stroke, heart disease, and cancer

The doctor said he avoids motorbiking due to the risk of serious injury, especially in young people. This includes paralysis and loss of brain function.

‘The number of patients, young patients, both men and female…that have gotten into severe accidents from their motorbikes and have been left paralyzed, in a coma, completely in a vegetative state, is unreal,’ he said. 

‘They’ve lost life. They’re not able to live life any further or have any reasonable quality of life.’

‘The risk and benefit of that just doesn’t add up. As much as I’m an adrenaline junkie, the risk is just not worth it. I like my life.’ 

Next on Dr Dave’s list was going to see a chiropractor. 

Chiropractors have long been seen as controversial and have been linked to neck injuries, stroke, and paralysis. 

He said he has seen multiple patients with vertebral artery dissection, which is a tear along the vertebral artery that runs along the back of the neck. 

This supplies the brain and spine with oxygen-rich blood. 

When this artery tears, it can lead to a stroke.

‘It’s just not worth a nice little crack,’ Dr Dave said. ‘I’d rather get a massage or just go lie in a pool.’ 

His last item was smoking, which has long been associated with negative health effects such as lung cancer and heart disease, among other serious consequences. 

‘I think everyone knows this, but cigarettes [are] one of the deadliest substances out there, along with all the additives that go in there,’ Dr Dave said. 

‘I’ve seen more patients than I can count coming in with complications from their smoking, whether that’s lung-related, cancer, etc.’