Teen Hospitalized After Four Days Non-Stop Call of Duty Binge

Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Whether its boredom, or because the new Call of Duty came out and you have to be the first to beat it, most gamers understand the need to binge. However, one kid took it to a whole new level.

An Ohio teen was hospitalized recently after bingeing for four-days straight on “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.”

Tyler Rigsby, of Columbus, reportedly only left his room to grab some snacks, use the bathroom, and take a quick shower.

After days of sticking to his virtual world, his aunt, Jessie Rawlins, came into his room and was talking to him when she looked over and saw he had collapsed.

“It’s like he was looking at me but he wasn’t there. It was like he was looking through me,” Jennifer Thompson, Tyler’s aunt, told WCMH. “We were talking and I heard a thump and I looked over and he just fell.”

Ambulances rushed in, and Tyler was taken to the hospital where he had an IV attached to him to replenish his fluids, because he was diagnosed with severe dehydration.

Tyler was lucky to have just suffered dehydration, because other hard core gamers have felt a lot worse consequences.

This past July, an 18-year-old Taiwanese teenager died after a 40-hour Diablo gaming session, according to a Huffington Post report.  Authorities believe this teenager died from blood clots after hours of sitting and not moving, as well as not stopping to sleep or eat.

A BBC report said that 20-year-old Chris Staniforth of Sheffield, England also died from deep vein thrombosis after a long period of time spent gaming.

For now, Tyler will have to deal with the real world, as his mom has decided to take away his Xbox.

Doctors recommend that gamers get plenty of food and fluids, as well as take breaks for physical activity and sleep.

Although the latest edition to the Call of Duty franchise, “Call of Duty: Black Ops II,” will be coming out on November 13, gamers should learn lessons from those who weren’t so lucky as Tyler, and take in doctor recommendations before deciding to embark on an all-night gaming binge.