The 37-year-old mother nearly dies and needs a liver transplant after a hepatitis B infection from a $ 60 nose ring that left her without eating or drinking water.
- Dana Smith, 37, of Queens, New York, bought a $ 60 nose piercing for Thanksgiving as a birthday present
- A few days later he began to feel unwell, but he delayed his attention to the doctor
- Eventually, he could not eat, shed blood and went to the hospital
- Doctors at North Shore Hospital found the piercing had caused a deadly hepatitis B virus that destroyed the mother’s liver.
- Dana entered the transplant list in January and found a match in 48 hours
- Doctors warned that the infection became much more serious because Dana waited so long to seek medical attention.
A mother in New York City died almost after a new nose piercing caused a deadly infection that destroyed her liver.
Dana Smith, 37, of Queens, spent $ 60 on jewelry during a shopping trip during Thanksgiving last year as a birthday present.
A few days later, the Northwell Health manager began to feel unwell, but stopped going to the doctor believing the problem was reduced to the stress caused by the holiday season and the pandemic.
But on January 12, Smith was unable to drink or eat and finally went to Long Island Jewish Medical Center on January 12.
Doctors discovered he was suffering from fulminant hepatitis B, a rare infection that had caused him liver failure, and that could happen days after death.
Dana Smith, 37, mother and insurance manager in Queens, New York, nearly died of hepatitis B after her nose was infected
Dana was taken to the hospital with the hepatitis B virus which destroyed her liver. She was placed in a medically induced coma (pictured) to prevent seizures while surgeons put her on the transplant list.
He later told ABC7 News: “I was just drinking water, I couldn’t hold back the water. I guess at some point I started bleeding.
After being transferred to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Dr. Lewis Teperman, director of transplant services at Northwell, took care of her.
He decided to put Dana in a medically induced coma to reduce the risk of the infection swelling his brain or causing seizures.
It was then a race against the clock to put her on the list of new liver transplants.
A match was found in just 48 hours and surgery took place on January 17th.
But it wasn’t until after her surgery that Dr. Taperman realized the small spit in her nose and realized it could be the source of the infection.
Dana told the New York Daily News, “I told her I was new, that it wasn’t something I had for years. My health was good otherwise. 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 only change that took place in his life, this nasal ring. And it’s the perfect time to incubate the virus.”
Dana returned home on January 26th.
The surgeon and patients met later after his recovery, where he thanked him for saving his life.
Dana Smith pictured this week meeting with Dr. Lewis Teperman, the Northwell Health surgeon who saved the life of the Northwell Health manager after his piercing infected nose
Dana Smith in the photo with her teenage daughter said she’s not sure how she would react if her daughter pierced her nose in the future
Speaking to ABC7News after his recovery, he said: “That decision [to go to the hospital] it saved my life. It is very overwhelming. Emotionally, everything, mentally.
Doctors warned that the infection became much more serious because Dana waited so 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 in the living room of Valley Stream Mall, Long Island, where she got the piercing, or after inadequate care.