A 31-year-old man died of sepsis. He had only waited 5 days after getting a tattoo to swim in the sea.
His impatience was fatal to him. A 31-year-old Mexican man died two months after swimming in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Tattooed on his leg, he did not wait for the recommended deadline. A bacteria took the opportunity to take up residence in his leg, report his doctors in the BMJ Case Reports.
It is a tattoo of magnitude that the victim had chosen. On his left leg, a crucifix extends, with the message “Jesus is my life”. Such a room is above all a wound that must heal. Indeed, the ink is injected under the client’s skin.
Rapid septic shock
It is therefore recommended to wait, at least, three weeks before enjoying a swimming pool or a swim in the sea. During this period, the skin heals. But the Mexican taken in charge at the University of Texas (United States) did not respect this period.
Five days after being tattooed, the man bathes in the Gulf of Mexico, on the Texan side. In the days that followed, his left leg reddened and made him suffer. The usual signs of an infection are: tremors, fever, pain.
Its condition deteriorates rapidly and the skin around the tattoo appears eaten away by an invisible element. The man was urgently hospitalized and placed under aggressive antibiotic treatment. Nothing helps, his health continues to deteriorate. He develops gangrene. His blood is infected.
80,000 cases per year
“He was already in the early stages of septic shock and his kidneys were under attack,” says Dr Nicholas Hendren at CNN. Very quickly, in about 12 hours, the septic shock reached an advanced stage, which is typical with this type of infection. “
Doctors eventually identify the culprit: a bacteria naturally present in the ocean, Vibrio vulnificus. It is well known to medical teams. Consumers of oysters in the region are regularly victims. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 80,000 cases are diagnosed each year, and 100 are fatal.
A population at risk
But in this patient, treatment is not enough. Amputation could slow the progression of the bacteria. But the Mexican is a heavy drinker. Every day, he ingested 6 cans of beer, which affected his liver. Doctors fear the ablation will not improve her condition. They put him in a coma. Two months after entering the emergency room, the man died.
The drama should serve as a lesson, in the eyes of the team that took care of this patient. According to practitioners, chronic liver disease, linked to alcohol, promotes a severe form of infection with Vibrio vulnificus. In fact, liver disease is one of the risk factors. They therefore invite caregivers in the region to be particularly attentive to heavy drinkers.
Watch the program “Tattoos, tattoo removal: what to know before deciding”
with Dr Catherine de Goursac, aesthetic doctor in Paris.
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