The danger of Q Tip (Cotton Bud) use

[maycm]

A Quebec coroner is raising a red flag about the cotton swab, following the death of a man who used the common bathroom product to clean his ears.

Daniel St-Pierre, 43, died March 25, 2007 in Montreal after developing meningitis-induced intracranial complications caused by an ear infection.

In a report, coroner Jacques Ramsay said St-Pierre's death is further proof that people still use swabs inside their ears -- despite warnings on the package that while it's acceptable to "swab gently around the outer ear," the swab should "not enter the ear canal."

The coroner says the best way to clean an ear is with a pinky.

And he is recommending Health Canada order manufacturers to put a much clearer warning on their packaging -- an actual drawing of an ear with a red X to show what you're not supposed to do.

Ramsay said St-Pierre likely developed the infection after perforating his eardrum with a swab, and that he didn't realize what had been bothering him was an infection.

"We think that prompted him to use a cotton swab and that's when he ruptured his ear drum," Ramsay told CTV News on Tuesday. "This allowed the infection to move to the inner ear and once the infection is in the inner ear, you're basically millimeters away from the meninges (the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord)."

Ramsay said he knew of only a handful of cases resulting in death after using a cotton swab. What's more frequent, he said, are incidents of people becoming deaf after breaking their eardrums.

Doctors are once again warning people not to insert anything in their inner ear to extract ear wax.

"Putting in a cotton swab is very difficult because you can't judge the depth of the ear canal," Montreal family physician Dr. Jeff Stein told CTV News.

"And the ear drum, the tympanic membrane, is easily damaged or perforated, and that can possibly lead to some serious consequences."

Cripes - I still do this to clean my ears. Who'd have thunk it?

[Bat]

My old dad used to say that the only thing you should put in your ear is your elbow. I bet the guy that died wishes he got that advice at a young age.

[eefanincan]

"Putting in a cotton swab is very difficult because you can't judge the depth of the ear canal," Montreal family physician Dr. Jeff Stein told CTV News.

When it hurts and bleeds, that's a good clue to stop.

[Skylace]

"Putting in a cotton swab is very difficult because you can't judge the depth of the ear canal," Montreal family physician Dr. Jeff Stein told CTV News.

When it hurts and bleeds, that's a good clue to stop.

You would think that was pretty obvious.

Of course, what you said just made me think of the blood born pathogens course we had to take each year in the schools, the slogan "If it's wet and not yours don't touch it"

[eefanincan]

"Putting in a cotton swab is very difficult because you can't judge the depth of the ear canal," Montreal family physician Dr. Jeff Stein told CTV News.

When it hurts and bleeds, that's a good clue to stop.

You would think that was pretty obvious.

Of course, what you said just made me think of the blood born pathogens course we had to take each year in the schools, the slogan "If it's wet and not yours don't touch it"

I'd say that's a pretty good description of what we nurses call "Universal Precautions" --- although I might add in "If it looks gross" into those instructions

[Skylace]

"Putting in a cotton swab is very difficult because you can't judge the depth of the ear canal," Montreal family physician Dr. Jeff Stein told CTV News.

When it hurts and bleeds, that's a good clue to stop.

You would think that was pretty obvious.

Of course, what you said just made me think of the blood born pathogens course we had to take each year in the schools, the slogan "If it's wet and not yours don't touch it"

I'd say that's a pretty good description of what we nurses call "Universal Precautions" --- although I might add in "If it looks gross" into those instructions

I will be sure to remember that one. It's a handy one to know