Super Strong Skulls Operation Ouch!

He's Dr Chris.

He's Dr Xand.

Yes, he's still got his beard.

And we're still identical twins!

Your body's amazing, and we're going to show you why.

We're head-to-head in Operation Takeover.

-BOTH:

-Man overboard!

-SIREN BLARES

Ouch And About hits the wards.

What kind of ambulance did you get?

I didn't get an ambulance, I got a helicopter.

First Aid is back.

So we do need to get Xand to hospital.

Meet our new brilliant Ouch patients.

Hello.

And our lab experiments...

..will blow your...

..mind! That's an amazing view.

Are you ready to join us?

Lucky I was wearing my swimming trunks today.

-BOTH:

-Coming up today on Operation Ouch!...

Things get busy at the GP surgery.

Hello, it's Chris here. Dr Chris.

-I'm going to miss my appointment.

-Let battle commence.

I am going to protect people's hearts.

And it's time to party.

-BOTH:

-But first... It's double trouble.

I'm saying that bit!

I'm sure it's my turn.

It's double trouble in the emergency department.

-Let's check it out.

-Check it out.

-Check it out.

An ambulance has brought in 11-year-old Joel.

-What have you done?

-They think I might have sprained my leg.

That doesn't sound good. But who's this?

This is my twin sister, Hannah.

Twins! Like us, Chris.

-I'm eldest.

-I'm the eldest too, Hannah.

-And the best.

-I don't think so, Xand.

But anyway, what happened to Joel?

Joel was bouncing on a trampoline at a busy indoor trampoline park.

-Cool!

-He was imagining jumping higher than Hannah.

That's what I'd be doing too, Chris.

Yes, but I am going higher.

No, I'm going higher, Chris.

But I'm the best.

No, I'm the best.

But anyway, this isn't about us.

Joel bounced really high...

..and when he landed, he bounced off the edge

and his foot got stuck between

the trampoline and the padding, twisting his leg.

-BOTH:

-Ouch!

-Jumping in to look at that leg is Dr Jane Dawson.

-Is that sore underneath here?

-A little.

Does it hurt anywhere else in your leg at all?

When you press around here.

Joel goes to radiography for an X-ray.

Stay really still.

OK, we are all finished with you.

And Dr Jane checks the results.

I can't see any abnormalities on the X-ray,

although sometimes X-rays aren't 100%,

so we treat the injury as if it were a fracture.

Time to deliver the verdict.

I can't see any breaks.

However, because you're still in quite a lot of discomfort,

we'll book you in to see the orthopaedic doctors

and make a decision as to

whether they need to do further investigations.

So, Joel is going to bounce back to hospital tomorrow to see the bone

-specialist.

-In the meantime,

that pin has to be put in plaster to support the leg and keep Joel

-comfortable.

-Find out later how Joel gets on.

Did you know your skull is actually made up of 22 separate bones?

That's amazing!

And now to our lab.

It's time for some big body experiments.

-Some of them gory...

-This is not for the squeamish.

Some extreme.

It's freezing!

So are you ready?

Just don't try anything you see here at home.

Today, we are looking inside your head.

Your brain controls pretty much everything going on in your body,

so damaging it can be serious.

Now, unluckily, it's very fragile,

but luckily our brains have some super protection.

That's right, Chris.

I am Maximus Brainius Protectorus, leader of the Ninth Legion,

conqueror of Rome, protector of brains.

Xand, I was thinking more along the lines of this.

Oh. It took me ages to get all this on.

Now this is a real human skull.

Your brain is so important that your skull has a special safety system

-installed in it.

-That's right, brain gladiators!

No, Xand, it is a clear colourless liquid called cerebrospinal fluid.

It acts as a cushion to protect your brain.

There's not much of it,

about the same amount as the water in this jar.

And to show you how it works, we are going to need to break some eggs.

Imagine this jar is your skull,

and I'm putting these eggs in to represent your delicate brain.

What would happen to the brain of this skull without any cerebrospinal

-fluid?

-Xand, shake the skull.

HE YELLS

Well, as you can see, your brain would be seriously damaged.

But what happens if the jar is full of water,

just like the cerebrospinal fluid inside your skull?

HE YELLS

The eggs remain intact, and so does your brain,

because the cerebrospinal fluid fills the gaps

between it and your skull.

HE PANTS Do you concede defeat, Xand?

The cerebrospinal fluid has vanquished me.

And as well as cerebrospinal fluid,

your brain has another amazing piece of super protection.

We are talking about the cranium.

The dome of the skull that protects the brain.

And we are going to show you how.

I think it's time I retired from being a gladiator.

Yes, Xand, white coats on.

As you can see here,

the average thickness of this part containing the brain

is only about half a centimetre,

and it has to be that thin because it has to be light.

Having a heavy head would be really difficult.

I mean, imagine if your head was as heavy as, say...

-BOTH:

-A watermelon.

Well, what is it like having a watermelon on your head?

It's very, very heavy.

I mean, I am getting a really sore neck.

So that is why your skull needs to be thin,

and yet despite being so thin,

it is incredibly strong, as we are about to show you.

Xand, will you go and get some skulls please?

To the Cupboard-of-Everything.

Look, I've found a skull here, Chris,

but it has got lots of different lids.

Some of them are pretty weird.

Yep. I want to show you why our skull's shape gives it strength,

and to do that, we need to compare it to some other shaped skulls.

We've got a model skull with a traditional top,

one that's flat,

and one that's spiky. And to see which skull is the strongest,

we need some kind of smashing device.

Oh, well, we could always use my drop rig, it is right there.

I call him Smashy.

Nice one, Xand. That looks perfect.

We are going to drop a set weight onto the top of each skull,

starting from a height of 15cm, to see if it smashes.

Let's see which shape fares best.

Ready, Xand? Release the smasher.

Smashy!

Ah!

If you've gone through all the trouble to grow spikes on your head,

you would be pretty disappointed with that result.

Flathead, it's your turn.

Xand, release the smasher.

It's called Smashy.

Right.

Well, that was disappointing.

We need more force.

Let's double the smashy height, Chris.

Agh!

Well, we got flathead that time.

Now let's try the traditional design.

Traditional for a reason, Xand.

Here we go, three, two, one...

It seems to be OK so far.

Let's raise the bar.

This is where flathead smashed.

This might hurt.

-Wow!

-We're now at 40cm,

we've pushed this further than ever before.

Release Smashy!

The human skull is hard-core!

Surely it has to give at some point.

-Ready?

-Ready.

Three, two, one...

-LAUGHS:

-Oh, dear!

So we have shown you that your extremely important,

very special brain is protected in not one but two ways.

Firstly, by a layer of cerebrospinal fluid providing a safety cushion.

And secondly, by your skull.

Despite only being 6.5mm thick,

your skull is the perfect brain protector thanks to its shape.

Chris, I have come to say goodbye.

Goodbye? I thought you'd retired from gladiatorial combat after your

humiliating defeat by the cerebrospinal fluid.

Well, yes. Yes, I had retired

and then I realised there was another body part

I could protect with my gladiatorial skills.

People's hearts!

I will travel throughout the land wherever people cry out.

Off I go, you'll never see me again.

Da, da-da-da!

The heart's protected by the rib cage.

Meet Kayden, Maisie, Bolu and Millie.

We've been following them across the series as they let us know what

it's like to be a regular hospital outpatient.

They invite us into their lives at home and as they undergo treatment.

Today, we are back with nine-year-old Millie.

Hello.

Millie has polyarticular arthritis,

which means she's experiences

pain in her joints.

But it doesn't stop her playing with her friends.

Charlie is a really important friend to me because she always supports me

and helps me with my arthritis.

To help Millie cope with the pain in her joints,

she has to have weekly injections.

When I'm ready, I say go.

-Go.

-You are being really brave, Millie.

In it goes.

And we are done. Good job, Mum.

Yay!

She is really brave having her injections every week

because if I had to have it, I wouldn't be able to cope.

Now the injection has eased Millie's pain for a while,

she can do more dancing with Charlie.

-BOTH:

-Bye!

Chris, how is Joel's leg?

-I don't know, Xand.

-What?

Well, what are you waiting for?

Let's find out.

OK, let's find out.

-Come on.

-Absolutely.

Find out.

Earlier in the emergency department, Joel came in with an injured leg.

Is that sore underneath here?

A little bit.

Joel was busy bouncing at an indoor trampoline park.

When he jumped off, his foot got stuck between the trampoline and the

padding and he twisted his leg.

-BOTH:

-Ouch!

X-rays showed Joel has not got any fractures that Dr Jane was concerned

about the amount of pain he within.

So he has come back to see an orthopaedic specialist.

Joel has been making the most of being laid up,

getting twin sister Hannah to run around after him.

He keeps getting me to get schoolbooks and water and stuff.

I know, Hannah, Chris is always making...

Xand! This isn't about you.

Here is Dr Venkata Vakamallu.

Can you bring your feet up?

-Painful?

-After looking at his leg, Dr Venkata examines Joel's X-rays.

OK, there is no fracture, that is good news.

But he has noticed significant swelling near Joel's ankle.

Usually this happens when you sprain your ligaments.

This will have been the source of Joel's pain.

The best way for this is to give you a full cast for two weeks,

then you will feel much better.

So, not great news, but there is an upside.

Tell him more about the cast, Doc.

You can choose your favourite colour.

Oh, bonus!

So Joel and family head down to the plaster room.

Are you sure you don't want pink, Joel?

Naomi said she'll give you £5 if you have pink.

-I'm sure.

-Hang on, what's wrong with pink?

-It's a great colour.

-But what are you going to choose, Joel?

Please can I just have blue?

Just the plain blue, that's absolutely fine.

That's my favourite colour, too.

-Are you sure you don't want sparkles?

-No.

-Are you sure?

-Yes.

-And with his blue cast all set, the family head home.

But what does Hannah think about it all?

I think he should've got sparkles, yes.

The eldest always knows best.

-Bye!

-BOTH:

-Bye.

-Still to come...

-We catch up with another one of our Ouch patients.

Hey, guys, it's Bolu here.

And this lot rush into action.

-Right, are you all right?

-But first...

Amazing people do important jobs inside and outside hospitals

that help to keep you safe.

But what will happen when WE have a go?

I feel a bit silly. This is Operation Takeover.

Are you ready to guess who today's hero is?

Well, I'll give you some clues.

They spend a lot of time dealing with people on one of these.

Hello? ANGRY GIBBERISH

And they have to...

PHONE RINGS

Hello, doctors' surgery.

Chris, is that you?

I'm trying to book an appointment for Mr Grumbles.

Where are you? We're meant to be doing an Operation Ouch! Takeover.

Well, that's handy because I'm right here.

Come on, Chris, let's go.

There are nearly 3,000 doctors' surgeries like this in the UK,

each one seeing hundreds of patients a day.

All these appointments have to be booked in and organised by the

hard-working reception staff.

We are about to take over the job of today's hero -

reception manager Vasanti.

Vasanti speaking, how may I help you?

Vasanti's busy reception receives

around after 150 phone calls every day.

You are, for lots of sick people,

the first person they encounter and you are trained to make a decision

about how they get help.

Reception staff have to try and extract as much information

as they can from the patient, and then it is for us to decide,

does this person need to see a doctor?

Is it something the nurse can deal with?

What are the most important skills to have as a receptionist?

Just being able to use your own initiative.

It is difficult dealing with challenging patients.

Do they get annoyed at you?

They do. We are the first port of call and they seem to take all their

frustrations out on the reception staff, yes.

Yikes, Chris. I think we ought to get some training.

The first thing is, obviously, greeting the patients.

I would, for example, say, "Good morning, Vasanti speaking.

-"How can I help you?"

-Great.

We've also got to get to grips with the appointment system.

-Got it, Xand?

-Which button was that?

-This is tricky.

-We've seen just how important and challenging

the job of a GP receptionist really is.

But will our attempts to do it be met with a frosty reception?

It's time for us to take over as surgery receptionists.

We are going to be judged on...

Prioritising appointments, or triage.

-Organisation.

-And our manner when dealing with patients.

Dr Xand's Cure-All House of Wonder, we can fix you...

-No, that isn't...

-What are you doing?

-What?

-What are you doing?

-I'm just practising my phone manners.

We'll each have four fake patients to deal with.

First up is a phone call.

-Hello?

-Hello, is that the doctors' surgery?

Yes, it is. Yeah, sorry, this is the doctors' surgery

and it's Dr Chris speaking.

Oh, I'm not happy how he answered the phone there.

Oh, dear, Chris. That's not a good start.

OK, Xand, let's see how you do.

GP surgery, Xand speaking.

-How can I help you?

-I need to see a doctor urgently today, please.

Could I get your date of birth, please?

Well done, Xand, you got important patient information.

Now, would an appointment at 11.48 this morning be OK?

He's just offering the appointment without finding out what the medical

reason is. It's the only appointment left of the day,

which is gold dust.

Watch and learn.

-What is the problem?

-I feel really, really unwell.

I just need to see a doctor today.

It does sound like you should come in for an emergency appointment.

Oh, are you sure that was an emergency, Chris?

I don't know if I should have done that.

Time for patient number two.

-What can I do for you?

-I need to book an appointment.

I have very bad back pain.

Uh-oh, the phone is ringing.

I'm going to have to answer this call.

Feeling the pressure, Xand?

-I'm sorry about that.

-He should've finished with the patient he was

dealing with rather than answering the call.

Do you mind if I just take this? I'm really sorry.

Hello, it's Chris here. Dr Chris here.

Look out, Chris, here comes patient number three.

I'm going to miss my appointment.

-What's your name?

-Serena Marquez.

You're over an hour late for your appointment.

I am probably a little bit late now cos I've been standing in this queue

-for a minute.

-Yeah, Chris!

Do you mind just waiting while I deal with this gentleman?

I think he's feeling stressed now.

I'll show you how it's done.

If you have a seat, we'll get you in very shortly.

I'm just going to deal with this gentleman.

You won't miss your appointment.

-Really?

-She doesn't look impressed.

Give me your full name, sir.

He has asked the patient three times now for their name.

So I think the best thing to do,

I can make an appointment in a couple of weeks.

Yeah, whatever. That's fine.

Finally, patient four arrives.

She needs an emergency appointment.

But we both filled all the available slots!

I've been feeling really, really faint and I've fainted for the last

-couple of days.

-This is where I need to see if he's going to prioritise.

There are no emergency appointments left here today,

so you can't see a doctor here today.

If you have a seat,

I will have a chat with the doctors and we'll have to squeeze you in

-this morning.

-Thank you.

Wow, that was hard-core.

Time for the verdict.

-How did we do?

-Your triaging skills are very similar.

You both gave the last appointment to the first patient,

and I think for both the patients, it wasn't an emergency.

Your mannerism was very good.

You were both similar. When it came to organisation skills,

I felt Xand was much better.

-Really?

-What?

You used your initiative to squeeze that patient in.

-Did you send her away?

-So the winner is...

-Ta-dah!

-Yes!

I have to say, this will not be a job I'm applying for any time soon.

I actually found it very stressful.

I think what we've learned is that it is a job much better left to the

-professionals.

-We should take off our receptionist jackets.

Vasanti, thank you very much indeed.

Thank you.

Time to catch up with the next Ouch patient.

Bolu has a condition called sickle cell anaemia.

This is where the body produces unusually shaped red blood cells

which aren't very good at carrying oxygen.

And this causes problems such as blood clots, tiredness and pain.

When they go through your veins,

they get stuck together

and then when they get stuck together inside your veins,

that's normally where the pain is, and if it is not treated soon

and quickly, it could escalate and cause a crisis.

A crisis is when Bolu is in too much pain to cope at home and has to

-go to hospital.

-With my condition,

I can go in to hospital nearly two times a month.

To try and prevent a crisis,

Bolu has a special piece of kit to help her with the pain she gets.

It's called a Tens machine.

When I have pain,

the signals from my leg goes up to my brain,

and my brain is starting to coordinate with that

and telling my legs, "You have pain,"

then that's when I start to know I have pain,

but then this, it gives it a different signal,

so my brain is listening to this signal

more than this signal so I won't really feel the pain as much as I

normally do.

But sometimes things get too much,

and Bolu has to be admitted to hospital.

My leg hurts a bit,

I am just going to use my medication and do what I need to do

to make it go away.

As Bolu begins feeling better,

she joins in her favourite hospital activity.

I am doing music today with Georgina.

-Hello!

-Hope.

-Hi.

And Daisy. It's going to be good.

Great tunes, Bolu.

We hope you're feeling better soon

and we'll catch up with you next time. Bye.

Today is a very exciting day for me and Dr Xand because we are having

-our...

-Birthday party!

As you can see, having a birthday party can be dangerous.

OMINOUS MUSIC

You could burn yourself while you're baking the cake.

Not if you wear oven gloves or you buy it from a shop.

Well, you can poke someone in the eye with the end of your party hat.

Not if you are as careful as I am.

Or you could slip on the freshly washed floor whilst practising

your dance moves.

Right, Xand, come on, we've got to lay out the food for the guests.

And, remember, don't eat anything from the bowl on the left,

it's got peanuts in it, and you can't eat...

Peanuts! Xand, this could cause a severe allergic reaction.

Injury alert!

Now, what should you do if someone

was having a serious allergic reaction?

The correct answer is A, help them use their EpiPen

or auto injector pen and call 999.

Let's see if this lot get it right without any help from us.

Right, off you go!

Ruby and Jesse are both pretending that they are having an allergic

-reaction.

-Quick, they need your help.

Are you all right? Are you all right?

Both teams get straight to work.

-What have you eaten?

-I had some peanuts.

Quite rushed and quite panicked initially.

I found this!

What?

They managed to find the auto injector pen, but they

are stumbling a little bit with reading instructions properly.

Our teams didn't quite get this right.

They had some good ideas.

999.

But also a few dodgy ones.

Did you follow the instructions?

-It's meant to go in the leg!

-Oh, yeah.

Right, let's go and find the correct way to deal with a severe

allergic reaction. Come on. Remember,

this is what to do in emergency, but it's always best to get an adult.

We are showing you what to do using a dummy injector pen.

So, let's say I'm having an allergic reaction.

Chris, my lips are swelling, my tongue is swelling,

I am feeling itchy in my mouth.

I'm actually finding it quite hard to breathe now.

I just feel terrible.

I've got your auto injector pen here,

so I'd read the instructions.

"Pull off blue safety cap.

"Hold the device 10cm from the outer thigh,

"swing and jab orange tip firmly against outer thigh

"and listen for the click, and hold in place for ten seconds."

So that's Xand's outer thigh.

So that's about 10cm.

One, two...

Nine, ten.

And then we come out, and then it says massage area for ten seconds.

Different pens have different sets of instructions, so always read the

instructions carefully.

Once you have given the medicine, you must then call 999.

Right, who wants to try it again?

Me!

Come on, then.

So, if you see someone with a rash, itchiness,

swelling on their face or having difficulties breathing,

then it might be a severe allergic reaction and you must...

Find their auto injector pen and help them to use it,

following the instructions.

-Call 999...

-Hello, ambulance?

..and remember to find out your location.

Reassure the patient until the paramedics arrived.

And if they don't have an auto injector pen, call 999 immediately.

Really good job, everyone.

Xand, are you OK? Is your tongue itchy? Is your throat swelling up?

I can get your auto injector pen.

I don't need my auto injector pen.

-Yeah, you do, don't be silly.

-I didn't eat any peanuts.

I've just been eating these sweets.

Although, I see what you mean, they do look a bit similar.

Well, that is a relief.

But it's always better to check if someone needs your help.

And if you have a friend or a twin brother with a severe nut allergy,

it's better not to serve any nuts at all.

DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

Call me nosy...

-You're nosy.

-That's not what I meant!

Call me nosy, but I'm wondering what's happening in A&E.

Well, let's find out.

You're the nosy one.

Four-year-old Corbin is in the Sheffield accident and emergency

department. What have you done, Corbin?

I put a diamond in my nose.

You've put a diamond up your nose?

-No way!

-Yeah.

Let's get the low-down.

Corbin was at home playing with his twin brothers, Cole and Colby.

What, more twins?

Yep, Xand. Anyway, he spotted something sparkly on the table.

Wow, Chris, it's two diamonds!

I bet I know what happened next.

Did he trade them in for a private jet and then zoom off to a tropical

island and then order the biggest chocolate chip ice cream ever

-with extra sprinkles?

-No, Xand, they're not real diamonds.

-Oh.

-Corbin decided to balance them on the end of his nose to make his

-brothers giggle.

-Well, that is pretty funny.

Well, it was, right up to the point where the diamonds toppled

and one of them went right up his nose.

-BOTH:

-Ouch!

-Ever had anything up your nose before?

-You've had something in your ears, haven't you?

-In your ear too?

It's never a good idea to shove anything up your nose...

..or in your ears.

-Got it?

-Yeah.

Perfect. Come on in, Dr Tim Osborne.

-And what was it that you put up there?

-Diamond.

Is it worth lots of money?

-Can I keep it?

-No.

-Nice try, Doc.

-Can I have a look up your nose, then?

-Yeah.

-I hope there's not too many bogeys up there.

If it's a diamond or a fake diamond,

normally we see a bit sort of sparkling or see something in there.

Right, so I can't see it, which either means that it's come out.

-MOTHER:

-Yeah.

-Or it's quite far back.

So, what do we do if it's stuck, Doc?

There's an old-fashioned way of trying to get it out.

You cover up on his nostrils and you blow in his mouth.

-We'll try and fire it out.

-Sister Demi's not sure,

but here's Mum to the rescue.

Corbin's mum will cover up his right nostril with her finger

and cover his mouth, leaving just his left nostril open,

then she'll blow as hard as she can.

As the tubes for your nose and throat are all connected,

the air will push into Corbin's throat

and up through his nasal passages,

firing out any blockages and snot out of his left nostril as it goes.

Here it comes.

TOOT!

THEY LAUGH

-Beg your pardon!

-Do I just blow?

Yeah, try and make it like a seal around his mouth.

Open your mouth, quick.

-Blow.

-SISTER:

-Ew!

-Yuck.

-Is it definitely up there, Corbin?

It's SNOT come out.

It's looking like Corbin's diamond has fallen out already.

Or he may have swallowed it,

in which case, he'll poo it out and it won't cause any damage.

Any advice for the Ouchers at home, Corbin?

Don't put things in your nose.

-Spot-on.

-BOTH:

-Bye!

Next time on Operation Ouch!...

Things get painful in the lab.

Ah! Ah!

-I forget my manners.

-HE BELCHES

And we get wet and wild.

That was very embarrassing.

So we'll see you next time for more Operation Ouch!.

Chris! Chris!

I've missed the ending.

Chris!

-BOTH:

-It's double trouble!

-I'm saying that...

-I'm saying that bit.

I'm sure it's my turn.

Sorry.

-BOTH:

-It's double trouble!

-It's my bit...

-It's my turn.

I'm sure it's my bit. OK, sorry.

XAND LAUGHS

That is very embarrassing.

Operation Ouch!