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Man's death linked to cotton swab u
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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
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Man's death linked to cotton swab u

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

MONTREAL — A Quebec coroner is calling for stricter product warnings from Health Canada after linking the death of a Montreal man to his use of cotton ear swabs.

Daniel St-Pierre, 43, died from meningitis last year after an infection from his outer ear migrated through his perforated eardrum and killed him, the coroner concluded.

Mr. St-Pierre had been a frequent user of cotton swabs, which probably ended up giving him an ear infection through overuse and repeated rubbing, coroner Jacques Ramsay said.

He then used a swab "with maybe a little more vigour than usual," which perforated his eardrum, letting the outer ear's infection travel into his inner ear, the coroner said.

"Once you're in the inner ear, you're millimetres away from the meninges and the brain," Dr. Ramsay said in an interview yesterday. "You just need one time to perforate your eardrum, and that opens the barrier and allows the infection to migrate."

While meningitis, an infection of the fluid around the spinal cord and brain, remains a "remote complication" from such a rupture, Health Canada should put stronger product warnings on cotton swab products, he said. Dr. Ramsay proposed a diagram of an ear with a red X through it.

Mr. St-Pierre went to a hospital emergency room one day last March after waking with pain and with blood coming out of his right ear. The outer ear was so inflamed, the doctor couldn't even see the eardrum. Mr. St-Pierre was sent home with eardrops.

His condition worsened throughout the night and the next day. Finally, his wife called 911 and Mr. St-Pierre was transported by ambulance to Montreal General Hospital, where he died.

Dr. Ramsay says overuse of cotton swabs can lead to a swelling of the outer ear that can give users the sensation their ears are blocked.

Submitted on 02/06/2008

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Globe and Mail (Canada) Feb 6, 2008

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Not Amusing
It sounds to me like this persons use of cotton swabs bordered on an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), which isn't amusing in the least. Thanks just the same for sending this in.


Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Death by ear swab. Now there's a unique way to go! Thanks for the story.


James said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
This one's a tough one. On the one hand, Bruce brings up a VERY good point...it could be OCD, which wouldn't be amusing. On the other hand, OCD isn't mentioned anywhere, so maybe this fellow just liked the sensation (in much the same way one may habitually scratch the same area because it feels particularly good). In the end, it is more unique than non-amusing, so I will go with Chip and give it a DA nomination. We'll see how the readers feel!


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