What was the medical procedure in The Exorcist?

The scene in which Regan undergoes carotid angiography, using direct carotid puncture and pneumoencephalography was the moment in “The Exorcist” which upset theatergoers.

What was Pneumoencephalography used for?

pneumoencephalography, technique of diagnostic radiology that produces X-ray films of the head after injection of air or gas between the membranes lining the brain and spinal cord to sharpen the outlines of various brain structures.

What is meant by Pneumoencephalography?

Pneumoencephalography (sometimes abbreviated PEG; also referred to as an “air study”) was a common medical procedure in which most of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was drained from around the brain by means of a lumbar puncture and replaced with air, oxygen, or helium to allow the structure of the brain to show up more …

Is the angiography scene in The Exorcist real?

2 Arteriogram Scene Is The Scariest Friedkin had cast real doctors to perform in the scene, and it is a very real invasive procedure that can happen in real life.

What procedure are they doing to Reagan in The Exorcist?

He, like others at the medical centre, were invited to take part in the scenes that show Regan undergoing a carotid angiography procedure because the director felt real life physicians would add authenticity to the sequence.

Does the body produce spinal fluid?

The brain produces roughly 500 mL of cerebrospinal fluid per day, at a rate of about 25 mL an hour. This transcellular fluid is constantly reabsorbed, so that only 125–150 mL is present at any one time. CSF volume is higher on a mL per kg body weight basis in children compared to adults.

Which part of the body does angiography deal with?

Angiography is used to check the health of your blood vessels and how blood flows through them. It can help to diagnose or investigate several problems affecting blood vessels, including: atherosclerosis – narrowing of the arteries, which could mean you’re at risk of having a stroke or heart attack.

What happens in The Exorcist crucifix scene?

This scene plays out like a mother bursting into her daughter’s room to catch her masturbating. Shocked, Chris physically intervenes by trying to strip the crucifix from her daughters hands. Finally, Regan shoves her mother’s face into her bloody crotch, leaving blood smeared across the face of a helpless Chris.

What happens at the end of The Exorcist?

The Exorcist, released in 1973, is a supernatural horror film. At the end of the film, Father Karras asks the demon to leave Reagan and enter him. When this happens, he throws himself out a window, dying to save Reagan from the demon. When he lands, Father Dyer administers his last rites, and the demon is defeated.

Is spinal fluid toxic?

In the study reported by Tikka and colleagues in the current issue of Brain (Tikka et al., 2002), CSF from three groups of MND patients was found to be toxic to cultured spinal neurones when compared with the effects of CSF from patients with other neurological diseases.

What are the possible side effects of pneumoencephalography?

Pneumoencephalography was associated with a wide range of side-effects, including headaches and severe vomiting, often lasting well past the procedure. During the study, the patient’s entire body would be rotated into different positions in order to allow air to displace the CSF in different areas of the ventricular system and around…

What is pneumoencephalography (peg)?

Pneumoencephalography (sometimes abbreviated PEG; also referred to as an ” air study “) was a common medical procedure in which most of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was drained from around the brain by means of a lumbar puncture and replaced with air, oxygen, or helium to allow the structure of the brain to show up more clearly on an X-ray image.

Why is the CSF drained for pneumoencephalography?

However, draining the CSF allows for greater contrast between the brain matter and the (now drained) crevices in and around it, which then show up as dark shadows on the X-ray image. The aim of pneumoencephalography is to outline these shadow-forming air-filled structures so that their shape and anatomical location can be examined.

What is the history of pneumoencephalography?

Pneumoencephalography. The procedure was introduced in 1919 by the American neurosurgeon Walter Dandy and was performed extensively until the late 1970s, when it was replaced by more-sophisticated and less-invasive modern neuroimaging techniques.