Posted on 03/10/2006 6:07:07 PM PST by wagglebee
(CP) - A 17-year-old Newfoundland girl is believed to have died from toxic shock syndrome - and the infection that killed her may have resulted from a nipple piercing, the province's chief medical examiner says.
Dr. Simon Avis said in an interview from St. John's that the teenage girl, who died Thursday, had been admitted to hospital earlier this week "with medical problems that were quite complex." Her name has not been released.
Avis said it is too early to say for certain that the apparent toxic shock syndrome was caused by infection at the site of the piercing. An anatomical autopsy was performed, but other microscopic tests need to be conducted before the source of the staphylococcus infection can be pinpointed, he said.
"We're still in the process of investigating," he said. "We can't be absolutely sure that body piercing had anything to do with the infection."
Still, Avis conceded that of the many possible origins of the toxic shock syndrome, "I think it would be fair to say that we're suspicious that that (body piercing) was the source of the infection, yes."
Toxic shock syndrome is characterized by sudden fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches and rash, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cause is usually toxins produced by strains of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium commonly found on the skin and on mucous membranes, such as the mouth.
Toxic shock can occur as a complication of skin abscesses or surgery. In females, it has been linked to the use of tampons and intravaginal contraceptive devices.
Avis said his office is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the teen's nipple piercing.
"This girl came to hospital almost moribund," he said. "All we know is she had a piercing recently. We are now trying to investigate when that was done."
Part of that investigation will involve talking to the grieving family of the teen, who was a senior at Booth Memorial High School in St. John's.
Avis said her death might be "an extreme example" of what can occur when people have lips, tongues, eyebrows, genitals and other body parts punctured in the name of fashion.
"This is health dollars that are essentially wasted treating infections that shouldn't have occurred because of some desire to have a piece of metal sticking out of your body. It doesn't make much sense to me."
I think anything other than ear piercing should be listed as a medical procedure.
In other words, you should have to have a medical doctor do any of these radical procedures.
I guess she forgot to boil the nipples...
Hmm... maybe consider a tattoo with a happy face? LOL!
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