Eek!

[moonwise]

CNN posted an article today about the dangers of upper ear piercing.

I went and looked at the JAMA article they were talking about, since I'd kicked around the idea of such a piercing from time to time. Here it is:

Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections Caused By Commercial Piercing of the Upper Ear Cartilage

What is so nasty about this article isn't just the pictures (which are, undoubtedly, unpleasant) but the sanitary conditions reported at the store. Granted, there are many piercing places that obey proper health and safety guidelines, but there are probably a lot more that are like the Oregon store.

...On a side note, what parent allows their kid to get an upper-ear piercing at 10 years old? High school maybe, but a fourth-grader?

Comments

[irenak.livejournal.com]

Actually, if I recall correctly, you're at an overall higher risk for infection if you pierce the cartilage as opposed to the fleshy part of the ear. So when people complain about it, I think that's where a lot of the issues come in.

But, yeah, most of the time, it's sanitary conditions that play the largest role, no matter what you're getting pierced/tattooed.

[sarcasticval.livejournal.com]

Actually, if I recall correctly, you're at an overall higher risk for infection if you pierce the cartilage as opposed to the fleshy part of the ear

You are correct! I guess I wasn't clear. What I meant was that, yes, there is a higher risk of infection on that part of the ear. However, I felt that the article was trying to blame all of the problems on the location of the piercing rather than sanitary conditions.

You'd think that CNN of all places could write a better article!