It’s hard to imagine that a kernel of popcorn could kill you. But the medical case of Adam Martin, a British firefighter, or rather the sequence of events triggered by a popcorn, tells us otherwise.
A dental abscess that degenerates
The anecdote spotted by the Futura-sciences site occurred a few years ago. Adam Martin, 41, and his wife have a movie night, while sharing a cone of popcorn. But one of the sticky grains then gets stuck in the back of the firefighter’s mouth. Nothing serious, but the feeling is painful. The man therefore tried for several days to get rid of it. And for this, everything goes: a toothpick, then a pen cap, a nail and even an iron rod.
A week passes when Adam feels the signs of a cold. His doctor perceives “a slight murmur in the heart” and orders blood tests and an x-ray. The latter only show slight signs of inflammation. However, soon after, Adam’s flu symptoms worsened. The man also notices a blood-filled blister on his toe. He does not make the connection, and yet: this erythematous lesion (called Janeway lesion) is one of the typical symptoms of infective endocarditis. Adam’s heart is sick.
“I could have died in three days“
Also affected by severe pain in his legs, Adam finally went to the emergency room. A beneficial decision since he actually suffered from an infected blood clot stuck in his femoral artery. On site, we also realize that his heart is damaged. He underwent emergency seven-hour open-heart surgery to replace his damaged aortic valve and left atrioventricular valve.
“The doctors told me that if I hadn’t gone to the GP, I could have died in three days” he expressed in the local newspaper.
How does endocarditis occur?
And all this sequence really comes from this little grain of popcorn! In attempting to dislodge the residue, the firefighter ultimately injured his gum, and opened a door to bacteria, which spread to his heart, even destroying the heart valves. A detail to be taken seriously, as Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical, explains to us.
“Infective endocarditis is a serious infection of the endocardium, the tissue that covers the internal walls of the heart and the valves. It occurs when microorganisms (usually bacteria) multiply on the endocardium or heart valves, particularly in people at high risk (prosthetic valves, history of endocarditis or certain congenital heart defects, etc.).”
Optimal daily oral hygiene is essential, reminds our expert, because bacteria often come from the mouth. Regular dental checkups and treatments are also recommended.
Never ignore an infection, even a small one
The case is rare but as our expert points out, there are simple precautions to keep in mind to prevent an infection from spreading dangerously.
- Prevent and quickly treat any local infection (tooth, skin, urinary tract, etc.);
- Also avoid risky procedures such as tattoos or piercings without hygiene precautions;
- In the event of persistent fever, even if low, you should always think about infective endocarditis, the diagnosis of which is made by cardiac ultrasound.
The emergency physician points out that bacteria remain a danger in many cases. “Targeted antibiotic prophylaxis is often offered before certain invasive dental procedures or surgical interventions.
As for doing self-dental surgery like this firefighter“it’s direct inoculation of germs!” In the event of problems of this type, it is better to go to your dentist.