Mother, 37, almost dies and needs a liver transplant after a hepatitis B infection caused by a $ 60 RING left her unable to eat or drink water
- Dana Smith, 37, from Queens, New York, bought a $ 60 nose ring on Thanksgiving Day as a birthday present
- After a few days she started to feel bad, but it took her a long time to go to the doctor
- Eventually she was unable to eat and vomited blood, and went to the hospital
- Doctors at North Shore Hospital discovered that the piercing had caused a deadly hepatitis B virus that destroyed the mother’s liver
- Dana was placed on the transplant list in January and a match was found within 48 hours
- Doctors warned that the infection became much more serious because Dana waited too long to seek medical attention
A mother of a New York child almost died after a new nose ring caused a deadly infection that destroyed her liver.
Dana Smith, 37, from Queens, spent $ 60 on jewelry during a Thanksgiving shopping trip last year as a birthday present for herself.
A few days later, the manager of Northwell Health started to feel bad, but postponed the doctor’s appointment, believing that the problem was due to the stress caused by the holiday season and the pandemic.
But on January 12, Smith was unable to drink or eat and she finally went to the Long Island Jewish Medical Center on January 12.
Doctors found that she was suffering from fulminant hepatitis B, a rare infection that had caused her liver to fail – and she could be days away from death.
Dana Smith, 37, a mother and insurance manager in Queens, New York, almost died of hepatitis B after her nose ring infected
Dana was rushed to the hospital with the hepatitis B virus, which destroyed her liver. She was placed in an induced coma (photo) to prevent seizures, while surgeons put her on the transplant list
Later, she told ABC7 News: ‘I was just drinking water, I couldn’t hold the water. I think at some point I started to vomit blood. ‘
After being taken to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Dr. Lewis Teperman, director of Northwell’s Transplant Services, took over his care.
He decided to put Dana into a medication-induced coma to reduce the risk of infection swelling his brain or causing seizures.
It was then a race against time to put her on the list of new liver transplants.
A match was found in just 48 hours and the surgery was performed on 17 January.
But it was only after the surgery that Dr. Taperman noticed the small pin on her nose and realized that it could be the source of the infection.
Dana told the New York Daily News: ‘I told him it was new, it was not something I had for years. My health was otherwise good. I had just gone to the doctor, everything was fine before I got it. That was the only thing that made sense. ‘
Dr. Teperman added: ‘This was the only unique change that has occurred in your life, this nose ring. And it’s the perfect time for the virus to incubate. ‘
Dana returned home on January 26.
The surgeon and patients were reunited later after her recovery, where she thanked him for saving her life.
Dana Smith photographed this week meeting with Dr. Lewis Teperman, the Northwell Health surgeon who saved the life of the Northwell Health manager after her infected nose ring
Dana Smith pictured with her teenage daughter said she is not sure how she would react if her daughter got her nose pierced in the future
Speaking to ABC7News after her recovery, she said: ‘That decision [to go to the hospital] saved my life. It is very impressive. Emotionally, everything, mentally. ‘
Doctors warned that the infection became much more serious because Dana waited too long to seek medical attention.
Smith warned others not to avoid going to the hospital because of fears about COVID-19.
Dr. Teperman said the Hepatitis B virus is rare and causes only 5% of cases of liver failure in the country each year.
He added that he cannot be sure that Dana contracted the deadly infection at Valley Stream, the Long Island shopping hall, where she pierced, or due to improper aftercare.