Mother (37) almost dies and needs a liver transplant after a hepatitis B infection from a $ 60 Nose Ring could not eat her or even drink water
- Dana Smith, 37, of Queens, New York, bought a $ 60 nose ring over Thanksgiving as a birthday treat
- After a few days she started to feel unwell, but slowed down to go to the doctor.
- Eventually she could not eat and shed blood and went to the hospital
- Doctors from North Shore Hospital found that the breakthrough caused a deadly hepatitis B virus that destroyed the mother from the liver.
- Dana was placed on the transplant list in January and a match was found within 48 hours
- Doctors warn that the infection is much more serious because Dana waited so long to seek medical help
A mother-of-one from New York has nearly died after a new piercing in her nose caused a deadly infection that destroyed her liver.
Dana Smith, 37, of Queens, spent $ 60 on jewelry during a Thanksgiving shopping spree last year as a birthday present for herself.
A few days later, the manager of Northwell Health started to feel bad, but she went to the doctor and believed that the problem was due to stress caused by the holiday season and the pandemic.
But by January 12, Smith could not drink or eat, and finally she went to the Jewish Medical Center in Long Island on January 12.
Doctors have discovered that she suffers from a persistent hepatitis B, a rare infection that has caused her liver to weaken – and she could be days of death.
Dana Smith, 37, a mother and insurance manager from Queens, New York, nearly died of hepatitis B after her nose piercing became infected.
Dana was rushed to hospital with Hepatitis B virus which destroyed her liver. She is in a medically induced coma (photo) to prevent seizures while surgeons put her on the transplant list.
She later told ABC7 News: ‘I just drank water, I could not hold the water. I think at some point I started vomiting blood. ‘
After being taken to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Dr Lewis Teperman, director of Northwell’s transplant services, took over her care.
He decided to place Dana in a medically induced coma to reduce the risks of the infection swelling her brain or seizures.
It was then a race against time to put her on the transplant list for a new liver.
A match was found within just 48 hours and the operation took place on 17 January.
But only after her surgery did Dr. Taperman look up at the small stud in her nose and realize that it could be the source of the infection.
Dana told the New York Daily News: ‘I told him it’s new, it’s not something I’ve had for years. My health was otherwise good. I just went to the doctor, everything was fine before I got it. That was the only thing that made sense. ‘
Dr Teperman added: ‘This was the unique change that took place in her life, this nose ring. And this is the perfect time for the virus to hatch. ‘
Dana returned home on January 26th.
The surgeon and patients were later reunited after her recovery, where she thanked him for saving her life
Dana Smith is pictured this week with Dr Lewis Teperman, the Northwell Health surgeon who saved the life of the Northwell Health manager after her infected nostril
Dana Smith in the photo with her teenage daughter said she is not sure how she will react to her daughter piercing a nose in the future.
In an interview with ABC7News after her recovery, she said: ‘That one decision [to go to the hospital] saved my life. It is very overwhelming. Emotionally, everything, mentally. ‘
Doctors warned that the infection was much more serious because Dana had waited so long to seek medical help.
Smith warned others not to go to the hospital for fear of COVID-19.
Dr Teperman said the hepatitis B virus is rare and that it causes only 5% of liver failure cases in the country annually.
He added that he could not be sure that Dana had contracted the deadly infection in the Valley Stream, shopping center in Long Island where she received the piercing, or that she was subsequently cared for improperly.