Lip Piercing Leads To MRSA Infection
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A local teenager thought he was being trendy when he pierced his lip. Now, he’s in a hospital bed with an infection so bad doctors say it could kill him.
Within days, Wheeler became achy and developed sores on his feet and hands.
Doctors realized a staph infection had set in and spread the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus virus through his blood stream.
Dr. Robyn Livingston, director of Infection Control at Children’s Mercy Hospital, said, “If MRSA gets into the blood stream, you’re talking about infection on the heart, pneumonia, into the bone that may require surgical intervention.”
Every part of Wheeler’s body is now affected, Livingston said. He’s had six blood transfusions and three knee and two hip surgeries.
“The true reality is he could end up in heaven,” Wheeler’s dad said.
Wheeler asked his parents to spread the message for him of what he has learned from his painful experience. He wants teens to understand the mistake he made by self-piercing without a sterile material.
Livingston said that the main point to remember is that your skin is your body’s first line of defense against infections. Any time you cut it or put a hole in it, you put yourself at risk of a staph infection. If you are going to get a piercing, choose a professional with licensed sterilizing equipment for the job.
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Comment from nealy Dempsey
Time: May 9, 2008, 2:46 pm
This is crazy! I’m 17 Yrs. old and all teens want to fit in and look cool, but this is no way to fit in.I have sympathy for you and your family to have to go through this and I know this is hard on all your friends to here this it’s so scary t ohave sonmething like this happen to you people don’t know what it feels like to have to live the way you live now but if they watch waht has happened to you they should understand they need to go get this professionally done f thats what there parents want to let them do.I believe you should be older to have this done anyways, maybe 16 or 17 but 14 and 15; is so young to have this.Look what you have to go through if you do this on your’e own.So tragic for this to happen to someone so young like you.You should be out with your’e friends and having a good time not having to worry bout if your’e going to live til tomarrow.