Computer Game Player Gets Blood Clot In Leg

Thanks to BBC News for its article discussing a UK teenager who developed a blood clot in his leg after playing videogames in one position for too long. The piece explains: "Dominic Patrick, 14, from Merseyside, developed deep vein thrombosis after a rainy day inside with a games console... The potentially dangerous condition was caused because Dominic had his legs tucked under his body." A doctor interviewed suggested this was a relatively rare case, however: "The only risk factor we could find in this case was the fact that Dominic had sat on his legs for 10 hours playing computer games without moving... [however, it] doesn't mean that the government should be putting health warnings on PlayStations."

evolution

[cowscows]

Evolution has provided the human body with an excellent defense against this sort of thing. It's called a bladder.

How can you sit in one place for 10 hours?

This guy deserves a darwin award

[Tuxinatorium]

I mean, what kind of skinny-ass nerd wouldn't get up for food/soda at least once every 3 hours?

Re:evolution

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only is it called a bladder, it's also called "your limbs falling asleep".

I'm sure people will use this as some sort of anti-videogame fodder, but it should be pointed out that DVT also occurs in people flying on airplanes, traveling in trains or buses for long trips, etc. It is also more likely (I believe) in those who are severely overweight.

And yeah... how do you sit perfectly still for 10 hours? I'm extremely sedentary and I work at a computer for a living, but even I have to get up every few hours for a soda or a bite to eat or to take a dump or a leak - or at least to move around and reposition myself comfortably. I certainly wouldn't "sit on my legs" for 10 hours straight.

Oh well. Another point to show that evolution exists, I guess!

Fittest and healthiest of children?

[imitier]

His father told a newspaper: "This just proves that DVT can affect even the fittest and healthiest of children."
Somehow I doubt that a kid who can, and does, put in 10 hours straight playing videogames is the "fittest and healthiest of children." My guess is that the 10-hours type of kid is something less than fit and healthy.

Re:evolution

[Anonymous Coward]

This could happen to anyone who works at a computer for a living, of course. Videogaming gives you the same oppertunity for it to occur as, say, coding or being a managerial type that is tied to your computer/office. Even security guards in some places. Anyone who sits and never ever moves *and* has poor health to boot is going to be at risk. This article is a "BFD" piece.

In other news

[pudge_lightyear]

In other news, runner dies of heart attack during morning jog.

2 points.

1. You can get hurt or die regardless of who you are and what you're doing.

2. This is only a story becuase of 2 other reasons.
2.a. Video-gamers are seen by the rest of society as lazy and dumb... so are naturally good targets.
2.b. This doesn't happen often so it's news.

Re:In other news

[Flunitrazepam]

Well... running has uncountable health benefits, and playing games does not.

Kind of an unfair analogy.

Yea you can get hit by a church bingo bus jogging, but the chances that you are living a well adjusted and healthier life are certainly better than if you played video games for 10 hours.

Why is the game even mentioned?

[raygundan]

Seriously. This is a case of video games being guilty by association. The kid's DVT was caused by sitting, not by video games. People get this on long airplane flights on a regular basis. Reason? Not the flying-- it's the *sitting*.

Oh well. Blaming it on the playstation makes a catchier headline.

Coming Soon : Warnings built into the game?

[MMaestro]

This doesn't exactly relate to the news report but, some games have messages or alerts that tells a player that he/she should stop playing. This may be a unique case but in the game Dungeon Keeper 2, if you set your computer clock to some insane time like 3 AM in the morning and play some of the messages were basicly along the lines of "Even dungeon keepers need to rest. Go to bed."

Who knows? Maybe games like The Sims 2 will feature a similar messages or MMORPGs for players who remain active for long periods of time without being passive for X amount of time, presumably to eat and use the bathroom. (Loading times don't count)