Hepatitis scare as seven tested after ear piercings

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http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/hepatitis-scare-as-seven-tested-after\

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Hepatitis scare as seven tested after ear piercings

MORGAN TAIT | 14th April 2011

Seven people are being tested for hepatitis after developing serious ear

infections from having their ears pierced with inadequately sterilised

equipment.

All seven, most of whom were teenage girls, received the infections after having

piercings at Napier store Trendez in February.

The infections were so bad abscesses had to be surgically cut open and drained,

permanently damaging the cartilage in the ears, and some still needed bandages

and dressings 2 months later.

The Trendez clothing and piercing store on Emerson St was inspected in March

after the cluster of severe infections came to the attention of the Hawke's Bay

District Health Board's Public Health Unit.

A Napier mother contacted Hawke's Bay Today after being told yesterday her

daughter would need to be tested for Hepatits B and C following the ordeal.

" I just felt sick, " she said. " I knew I had to do something for other members of

the community that have been there and don't know about this. "

The woman, who didn't want her daughter to be identified, said the girl received

an ear piercing at the store on February 16 and it became infected soon after.

Within days the 16-year-old high school student deteriorated and, despite

antibiotic ointment, oral and intravenous antibiotics, she was hospitalised and

taken to surgery.

" Nothing was working, " her mother said.

" She was in so much pain and she wasn't sleeping so she was referred to ED in

Hastings. They took one look at her and said 'you have a huge abscess, it needs

to be surgically incised and drained'. "

Her case is similar to another 16-year-old high school girl, whose mother

described the incident as " disgusting " .

" Just to see your daughter having to be surgically cut open is horrific,' she

said.

" There was no beds when we got there so she had to just be put under local

[anaesthetic] and it didn't take. She was screaming in pain the whole way

through. "

Medical Officer of Health Dr said staff from the DHB and Napier

City Council undertook an immediate inspection of the " implicated premise " in

March when they became aware of five more cases.

" There were deficiencies in the operator's sterile procedures that could cause

the transfer of skin infection from one client to another, " he said.

" The investigation showed the procedures in place were adequate to prevent blood

borne virus spread. However, as a precaution we have recommended blood borne

virus testing. "

Dr said the inspection led to Trendez making changes to their safety

procedures.

Trendez owner Nick , who also owns the Hamilton branch of the nationwide

chain store, described the cluster of seven infections as " very strange " .

He said there was nothing wrong with sterilisation and procedures in his store.

" Some people just don't follow the recommended guidelines like cleaning with the

correct solutions or not touching [new piercings] and cross-contaminating the

bacteria, " he said.

However, the council and health board inspections led to " replacing a few

benches and moving some equipment from one spot to another " .

" This is the first case of a group of trouble, " he said.

" I have never had anything but good relations with the health boards in Napier

and all over New Zealand, I am confident in our piercing and sterilisation

procedures. "

Napier City Council regulatory services manager Mike Webster said it was unusual

to have a cluster of seven.

Mr Webster said Trendez was licensed under the Skin Piercing Bylaw 2008, but an

investigation uncovered problems with the premises, including an Autoclave

sterilisation device that was functioning " less than optimally " .

Mr Webster said customers needed to choose piercing stores carefully. The health

board advised anyone who had complications after a piercing to see their doctor.

[Guest guest]

http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/local/news/hepatitis-scare-as-seven-tested-after\

-ear-piercing/3948319/

Hepatitis scare as seven tested after ear piercings

MORGAN TAIT | 14th April 2011

Seven people are being tested for hepatitis after developing serious ear

infections from having their ears pierced with inadequately sterilised

equipment.

All seven, most of whom were teenage girls, received the infections after having

piercings at Napier store Trendez in February.

The infections were so bad abscesses had to be surgically cut open and drained,

permanently damaging the cartilage in the ears, and some still needed bandages

and dressings 2 months later.

The Trendez clothing and piercing store on Emerson St was inspected in March

after the cluster of severe infections came to the attention of the Hawke's Bay

District Health Board's Public Health Unit.

A Napier mother contacted Hawke's Bay Today after being told yesterday her

daughter would need to be tested for Hepatits B and C following the ordeal.

" I just felt sick, " she said. " I knew I had to do something for other members of

the community that have been there and don't know about this. "

The woman, who didn't want her daughter to be identified, said the girl received

an ear piercing at the store on February 16 and it became infected soon after.

Within days the 16-year-old high school student deteriorated and, despite

antibiotic ointment, oral and intravenous antibiotics, she was hospitalised and

taken to surgery.

" Nothing was working, " her mother said.

" She was in so much pain and she wasn't sleeping so she was referred to ED in

Hastings. They took one look at her and said 'you have a huge abscess, it needs

to be surgically incised and drained'. "

Her case is similar to another 16-year-old high school girl, whose mother

described the incident as " disgusting " .

" Just to see your daughter having to be surgically cut open is horrific,' she

said.

" There was no beds when we got there so she had to just be put under local

[anaesthetic] and it didn't take. She was screaming in pain the whole way

through. "

Medical Officer of Health Dr said staff from the DHB and Napier

City Council undertook an immediate inspection of the " implicated premise " in

March when they became aware of five more cases.

" There were deficiencies in the operator's sterile procedures that could cause

the transfer of skin infection from one client to another, " he said.

" The investigation showed the procedures in place were adequate to prevent blood

borne virus spread. However, as a precaution we have recommended blood borne

virus testing. "

Dr said the inspection led to Trendez making changes to their safety

procedures.

Trendez owner Nick , who also owns the Hamilton branch of the nationwide

chain store, described the cluster of seven infections as " very strange " .

He said there was nothing wrong with sterilisation and procedures in his store.

" Some people just don't follow the recommended guidelines like cleaning with the

correct solutions or not touching [new piercings] and cross-contaminating the

bacteria, " he said.

However, the council and health board inspections led to " replacing a few

benches and moving some equipment from one spot to another " .

" This is the first case of a group of trouble, " he said.

" I have never had anything but good relations with the health boards in Napier

and all over New Zealand, I am confident in our piercing and sterilisation

procedures. "

Napier City Council regulatory services manager Mike Webster said it was unusual

to have a cluster of seven.

Mr Webster said Trendez was licensed under the Skin Piercing Bylaw 2008, but an

investigation uncovered problems with the premises, including an Autoclave

sterilisation device that was functioning " less than optimally " .

Mr Webster said customers needed to choose piercing stores carefully. The health

board advised anyone who had complications after a piercing to see their doctor.