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A letter from a doctor who puts the accident in perspective
February 7, 2001
Unfortunately it would appear that your predicament was not without many precedent, here is a case study of a young child having undergone a very similar experience... you do have someone looking out for you.
Ingestion of 35% hydrogen peroxide.
Humberston CL, Dean BS, Krenzelok EP
Pittsburgh Poison Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The ingestion of hydrogen peroxide is usually benign. However, the ingestion of greater than 10% hydrogen peroxide can result in significant pathology. Two fatalities are reported in the literature involving children who ingested 27% and 40%. We report a case involving the ingestion of one mouthful of 35% hydrogen peroxide by a
26-month-old female. The child vomited spontaneously. In the Emergency Department the child was lethargic and had an episode of bright red emesis. Several hours later the child experienced a fainting episode followed by a brief respiratory arrest after which she began drooling bright red blood. The initial oral evaluation was negative. Endoscopic evaluation performed 16 hours postingestion revealed erosion of the cardia of the stomach, erythema of the lower esophageal sphincter, and an additional gastric burn. The child was observed for six days and discharged. Follow-up endoscopy performed 12 days postingestion showed only minimal hyperemia in the cardia of the stomach. Exposures to concentrated hydrogen peroxide should be managed aggressively.
PMID: 2381026
ttfn sylv
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Answers to a Strad magazine reporter's questions
February 9, 2001
Dear Mr. Quantrill
I thank you for your concern and well-wishes. I am in fact doing more or less well except perhaps for my stomach and digestive system. The recovery seems a little long to me (I need to sleep rather more these days) but after all it has been just a few weeks. And it was a huge shock.
I have also found, much to the joy of those around me, that ire is no longer a good thing for my gastric health, so, I am, for the moment at least, a non-confrontational big sweetie. Of course folks are also happy I am here at all. Maybe they are just being nice.
I will do the best I can with your questions. For obvious reasons I cannot answer them all as you asked but here is a try.
Have you returned to practising? Yes, I only lost 9 days from the violin after the accident, and have taken much more time off on occasion due to no accident, but just for fun. So that is nothing new, although I usually do not spend time off flat in bed with no food.
Did you cancel any concerts? I did not exactly cancel anything large but had to defer/postpone a lot of things including a recording session.
When and where is your next concert (and what will you play)? My next concert is with the Toronto Symphony Feb 24, 25 and 26 and I play Zigeunerweisen and Waxman Carmen Fantasy, 3 times. Before that I record, shoot another video, as well as giving some masterclasses and having another photo shoot (to which I will bring my own beverages).
Are you taking any legal action against the parties involved? For the moment I am not sure about that part of it, and besides, Canada (where it happened) is rather less sue-happy than the States. For the moment I am waiting to see just which kinds of repercussions will occur; if I can ever eat solids again, then I will be less upset than otherwise. At this time I do not have the luxury of yummy food, nor do I apparently have the enzymes which process dairy or meat. I have a very boring diet now (mostly mushy vegetables), and think it would be a very sad life without Camembert or Steak Tartare or popcorn. But I really can't comment on that at the moment - it has been the least of my worries.
I take it that the names 'Pat' and 'Hamish' are pseudonymous: would you mind revealing their full names? Um well yes I would mind. I find this whole random debacle to be an honest albeit ridiculous mistake on their parts and have no wish to sully their names. Pat and Hamish will have to do.
Have you, since posting your account of the accident on your website, had any recent update from medical authorities about an expected recovery period or news on your condition? Well, I am taking the pills they gave me for acid reduction, and that is about it. As I said in the story; no one really knows what can or will happen - it is not something they see every day (or ever, actually). I was sent an e-mail (see side bar  ) through the website from apparently a music lover/doctor who gave me 2 other instances of such ingestion of over 10% hydrogen peroxide - both fatal. Of course they were children but he did congratulate me.
I will soon go back to the hospital which treated me and see what they have to say. I honestly don't think, even if they do more CAT scans and gastric scopes, that they can do anything to help. They told me as much. I just have to hope.
Okay I think that is all you asked.
Hope that answers some things!
All my best,
Lara St John
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